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Rio Tinto says dry conditions caused visible dust in Copperton; company to install automated sprinklers
Summary
Rio Tinto officials told the Copperton Town Council that visible dust on Aug. 9 and 11 originated from a soft-rock fall at the concentrator; the company said it will shut the concentrator next month to install automated sprinkler systems and share air-monitoring data with the town.
Rio Tinto representatives told the Copperton Town Council they believe two visible dust events that affected the town on Aug. 9 and Aug. 11 were caused by very dry conditions and a ‘‘fall from height’’ of soft rock at the company’s concentrator facility.
Ryan, identified by the council as Rio Tinto’s social performance manager, said the concentrator’s water and dust-control systems were operating during the incidents but that a long fall of soft material produced most of the dust. ‘‘We are shutting down the concentrator next month, and we'll be putting in some automated sprinkler systems,’’ he said, adding the upgrades should reduce the likelihood of similar events.
Sean Daley, Rio Tinto’s principal adviser for air quality and hazardous waste, told the council Copperton has an air-monitoring station sampled roughly monthly. He said those ambient readings are publicly available through the state agency that handles air quality and that Rio Tinto would provide links to the relevant measurements and to the company’s follow-up analyses.
Residents expressed health and safety concerns during council discussion and public comment. Council members raised where event complaints were logged and asked whether the company had been in direct contact with town liaisons during the events; Rio Tinto said it maintained regular communications with council contacts and with town staff on the days in question.
The company also described operational steps it is evaluating beyond the sprinklers, including earlier detection at the crusher and automated controls to adjust water and dust suppression more quickly without manual intervention. Rio Tinto representatives described balancing moisture (to reduce dust) against system design that sometimes relies on dry suction to capture particulate.
Council members asked the company to provide the town with the Department of Air Quality’s quarterly ambient data report for the Copperton monitor, and Rio Tinto said it would send a link to those reports. The council did not take formal action; the discussion closed with Rio Tinto offering on-site engagement during Copperton Town Days.
What’s next: Rio Tinto said it will proceed with planned concentrator downtime and installation of automated sprinklers next month and will share monitoring data and follow-up steps with the council.
