Community groups question Minister over coal comments - ABC Online

Updated March 18, 2013 06:56:24

A coalition of Newcastle community groups is urging the Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese to visit the Hunter to experience first-hand the issue of coal dust pollution.

More than 1500 people rallied in the city on Saturday to protest against the proposed fourth coal terminal.

In response a spokesman for the minister said levels of particulate matter emitted by coal trains were "not statistically significantly different to passenger trains".

But Coal Terminal Action Group spokeswoman Annika Dean says two recent reports show that is not the case.

"It may have been an honest mistake on the part of Anthony Albanese but there has actually been two reports since December that have shown that particle pollution levels are well in exceedence of the national standard," she said.

"We think it's time Anthony Albanese visited the Hunter to experience first hand what we are living with here."

Ms Dean says they are disappointed by the comments.

"Newcastle community groups are dismayed by comments by the Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese who said that coal trains do not cause any more particle pollution than passenger trains," she said.

"He said this in response to our rally of 1500 people who marched through the streets to protest against the proposed fourth coal terminal."

Topics: coal, air-pollution, mining-environmental-issues, community-organisations, federal-government, newcastle-2300

First posted March 18, 2013 06:54:59