The Corporation environmental team undertakes numerous environmental monitoring programs that provide information to guide management decisions and ensure compliance with all legislative requirements and guidelines. This team also has input in the future development of the Port and facilitates an Environmental Working Group that actively involves both the Port community and government agencies. Many Port customers undertake their own monitoring on site, this section just describes the Corporation monitoring programs.
The Port of Townsville dust monitoring program was developed in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Implemented in 1994, the program is run as a cooperative initiative between the Port of Townsville, and a number of Port customers.
Whist many members of the port community undertake individual site dust monitoring and are involved in dust investigation programs, this dust monitoring program allows for a whole-of-Port assessment incorporating an assessment of Port management practices in relation to air quality.
The Port of Townsville long term dust monitoring program was developed to:
ensure that the generation of dust from the Port of Townsville remained within acceptable limits and has a minimal effect on the environment,
to monitor inhalable particulate matter (PM10),
to detect sources of elevated dust emissions, and
to assist in the development of appropriate management techniques to prevent any potential problems stemming from identified source activities.
Results for the particulate matter monitoring, wind speed and direction can be obtained from the EPA website or by following this link EPA Air Quality.
Sediment Monitoring
The Port of Townsville undertakes a comprehensive sediment monitoring program in and around the Port. This monitoring program was initiated in 1994 and provides important short and long term information. This program allows the Corporation to monitor and assess the effects of Port operations on the marine environment and the results acts as a guide for determining the suitability of dredged material management alternatives.
The sampling program includes the quarterly collection of 242 samples, from the Inner Harbour, Outer Harbour, Ross Creek, Ross River, the Platypus Channel, and Sea Channel which are analysed for a suite of heavy metals. These samples are analysed by an independent NATA approved laboratory. To ensure appropriate dredge material disposal options are adopted, analysis results are compared with regional screening levels for sea disposal, national sea disposal guidelines and land disposal guidelines.
Water Quality Monitoring
The 2004/2005 financial year saw the development and implementation of a water quality monitoring program. Samples are collected biannually to consider dry and wet season influences from over thirty locations within the Port area, Ross Creek, and Ross River. The samples are analysed for hydrocarbons, heavy metals, suspended solids, phosphorous, and nitrogen. This data is assessed against state and national guidelines.
The water quality monitoring program was implemented to:
monitor the quality of water within the Port of Townsville to provide a comparison with statutory guidelines and local reference data;
increase the information available to management, allowing for improved environmental management initiatives to be adopted;
assess the effectiveness of current and future environmental management strategies;
obtain a substantial water quality reference data set to allow for the assessment of future developments at the Port against pre-development water quality characteristics; and,
determine point and non-point sources of pollution which may be affecting the quality of water within the Port.
The long term water quality monitoring program is designed to complement, and in some cases expand, existing monitoring programs. The program aims to gain information on the quality of receiving waters through a structured long term water quality sampling program.
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TPA-Environmental_Our_environment.pdf 
The Port of Townsville dust monitoring program was developed in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Implemented in 1994, the program is run as a cooperative initiative between the Port of Townsville, and a number of Port customers.
The Port of Townsville undertakes a comprehensive sediment monitoring program in and around the Port. This monitoring program was initiated in 1994 and provides important short and long term information. This program allows the Corporation to monitor and assess the effects of Port operations on the marine environment and the results acts as a guide for determining the suitability of dredged material management alternatives.
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