Judge fines gold mine $224,000 after company admits disturbing violations: 'Our actions fell short'

An operator of a gold mine in New South Wales, Australia, has admitted fault after it was fined AUD$350,000 ($224,000 USD) by a judge for violating air pollution regulations.

What's happening?

Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the owner of one of the country's largest gold mines, Newmont Corporation, was fined for exceeding the limits for airborne solid dust particles on three different occasions — in November 2021, March 2022, and May 2023.

Newmont Corporation pleaded guilty to the breaches, and on top of the $350,000, it was ordered to pay New South Wales' Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water $61,500 (over $39,000 USD) in monitoring costs, as well as the Environment Protection Authority's legal costs.

"We recognise that our actions fell short of regulatory standards and our own expectations," a Newmont spokesperson said in a statement.

The breaches were discovered at a ventilation site in Cadia, which expelled dust into the atmosphere from underground workings — like crushing stations, conveyors, and vehicle movements — through surface exhaust fans.

Why is gold mine exhaust concerning?

The court found the breaches likely had "minimal harm to the environment," due to the fact that most of the material formed mud globules that remained close to the ventilation site, per ABC News Australia. However, exhaust from mining still poses serious threats to the health of humans and the ecosystem.

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A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, shared by the National Library of Medicine, observed that mining generates large quantities of heavy metals, like zinc, copper, and lead, that contaminate the soil and water systems.

For example, high levels of exposure to lead can impact cardiovascular and kidney health, with children and pregnant women particularly susceptible to its dangers, according to the World Health Organization.

Gold mining also requires large amounts of electricity. According to a study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, shared by Science Direct, Australia reported 588 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in yearly planet-warming gas emissions in 2018, with gold mining a significant contributor.

What's being done about gold mine pollution?

In the case of Newmont, its spokesperson said after the breaches were fixed that the mine had been compliant with air quality standards and had real-time monitoring available on its website.