Community groups in coal-affected regions across the state, including Maitland, are crusading to gather more than 10,000 signatures by the end of next month to trigger a parliamentary debate on the proposal.

“It’s time Premier O’Farrell and his ministers took action to protect the health of the tens of thousands of people who live close to coal trains in the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and other parts of the state,” Hunter Community Environment Centre spokeswoman Fee Mozeley said.

The petition will be launched today in partnership with community groups in coal-affected regions throughout NSW including Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and Illawarra, Gloucester, Gunnedah, Lithgow and the Blue Mountains.

Community groups in all these regions will collect signatures for the petition throughout February and March.

“Pollution monitoring studies have proven that coal trains are a major source of particle pollution and the 2013 Senate Inquiry recommended that state governments instruct the coal industry to cover wagons,” Ms Mozeley said.

Studies, commissioned by the coal industry, confirmed that covering wagons reduced coal dust emissions by up to 99 per cent, reduced aerodynamic drag and prevented the loss of 1 to 3 per cent of each wagon’s load during transit.

“We’ve had a gut full of cover-ups by the Environment Protection Authority, leaked reports and industry denials that coal wagons pollute. It’s time for action,” Ms Mozeley said.

Particle pollution has been shown to contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, asthma, hospital admissions and premature death. 

Monitoring along the Hunter Valley coal corridor during 2013 found that PM10 levels increase by up to 1200 per cent as coal trains pass through residential areas.

According to the HCEC, more than 100 coal trains pass through Newcastle and the Lower Hunter each day and 31,329 people in the Lower Hunter live within 500 metres of uncovered coal wagons.

“Covering coal wagons is a win-win,” Hunter Communities Network spokesperson Bev Smiles said. “This cheap and simple measure will protect community health and save industry money for about one-thousandth the cost of the coal in each wagon. 

“To be honest, we have no idea why the NSW mining industry hasn’t done it already. We’re confident we can blitz the target of 10,000 signatures by the end of March.  We look forward to the parliamentary debate this petition will trigger and to the NSW government instructing the coal industry to cover their wagons, at last.”

Signed petitions must be returned by March 16. For more information or to arrange collection, call 0424 026 056.