scholarly journals Disasters and Demographic Change of ‘Single-Industry’ Towns—Decline and Resilience in Morwell, Australia

2020 ◽  
pp. 125-151
Author(s):  
Deanne Bird ◽  
Andrew Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Economic Change ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Data Analyses ◽  
Single Industry ◽  
Coal Mine Fire ◽  
The Town

Abstract In 2014, an open-cut coal mine fire burned for 45 days in the small single-industry town of Hazelwood in Victoria (Australia) spreading smoke and ash across the adjacent community of Morwell. This chapter examines the extent to which the mine fire acted as a catalyst for demographic and socio-economic change and considers how, if at all, it impacted Morwell’s resilience to disasters. We report on a range of secondary data analyses augmented with qualitative insights captured in government reports (namely, the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry reports), as well as from related research papers and media articles. We suggest that a succession of structural and demographic changes meant that the town and its residents were accustomed and resilient to relatively large shocks. In this sense, the Morwell and broader Latrobe Valley population banded together around various community-led initiatives to fight for a better future for their community.

scholarly journals Morwell Coal Mine Fire as a Cascading Disaster: A Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s8-s8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dudley McArdle ◽  
Caroline Spencer ◽  
Frank Archer
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Core Structure ◽  
Disaster Mitigation ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Adequate Model ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Coal Mine Fire

Introduction:Despite the influential Hyogo and Sendai Frameworks, risk remains poorly understood in the emergency preparedness sector. Hazard assessment and risk management are usually considered before events. An alternative view considers risk as a cascade of potential consequences throughout an event. The 2014 fire in the Victorian rural community of Morwell included a three-phased event: a small bush fire, from which embers ignited a persistent fire in a disused open cut brown coal mine fire. The consequent air pollution precipitated a public health emergency in the nearby community of 15,000 people.Aim:To examine this event as a case study to investigate concordance with accepted definitions and key elements of a cascading event.Methods:Selected literature informed a risk cascade definition and model as a framework to examine the key post-event public inquiries available in the public domain.Results:Informed by a Conceptual Framework for a Hazard Evolving into a Disaster (Birnbaum et al., 2015), Wong and colleagues promote a Core Structure of a Comprehensive Framework for Disaster Evaluation Typologies (Wong, 2017). This Core Structure provided an adequate model to examine the sequence of events in the Morwell event. Definitions of cascading effects is more complex (Zuccaro et al., 2018). Our analysis of the Morwell event used the authoritative definition of cascading disasters published by Pescaroli and Alexander (2015). Using this definition, the Morwell event increased in progression over time and generated unexpected secondary events of strong impact. The secondary events could be distinguished from the original source of disaster, and demonstrated failures of physical structures as well as inadequacy of disaster mitigation strategies, while highlighting unresolved vulnerabilities in human society.Discussion:The Morwell coal mine fire of 2014 reflects the key criteria of a cascading disaster and provides understandings to mitigate the consequences of similar events in the future.

Delineation and mapping of coal mine fire using remote sensing data – a review

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (17) ◽  
pp. 6499-6529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanti Swarup Biswal ◽  
Simit Raval ◽  
Amit Kumar Gorai
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Coal Mine ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Sensing Data ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Coal Mine Fire

Experiences of a prolonged coal-mine fire

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 534-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Jones ◽  
Sarah Lee ◽  
Darryl Maybery ◽  
Alexander McFarlane
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Deep Uncertainty ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Sense Of Security ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Coal Mine Fire ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the perspectives of local residents regarding the impact of the long-duration Hazelwood open cut coal mine fire in rural Australia.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was undertaken involving 27 in-depth interviews with adults who lived in the town of Morwell, immediately adjacent to the coal mine fire.FindingsParticipant concerns focussed upon fear and confusion during the event, the perceived health effects of the smoke, anger towards authorities and loss of a sense of community and sense of security. One of the significant ways in which people managed these responses was to normalise the event. The long duration of the event created deep uncertainty which exaggerated the impact of the fire.Research limitations/implicationsUnderstanding the particular nature of the impact of this event may assist the authors to better understand the ongoing human impact of long-duration disasters in the future.Practical implicationsIt is important to provide clear and understandable quality information to residents during and after such disasters.Originality/valueWhile there is an extensive literature exploring the direct social and psychological impacts of acute natural disasters, less qualitative research has been conducted into the experiences of longer term critical events.

The impact of the Hazelwood coal mine fire smoke exposure on asthma

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Sasha Taylor ◽  
Brigitte Borg ◽  
Caroline Gao ◽  
David Brown ◽  
Ryan Hoy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Fire Smoke ◽  
Coal Mine Fire ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Associations between Respiratory Health Outcomes and Coal Mine Fire PM2.5 Smoke Exposure: A Cross-Sectional Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda L. Johnson ◽  
Caroline X. Gao ◽  
Martine Dennekamp ◽  
Grant J. Williamson ◽  
David Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Coal Mine Fire ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Respiratory Outcomes

In 2014, wildfires ignited a fire in the Morwell open cut coal mine, Australia, which burned for six weeks. This study examined associations between self-reported respiratory outcomes in adults and mine fire-related PM2.5 smoke exposure. Self-reported data were collected as part of the Hazelwood Health Study Adult Survey. Eligible participants were adult residents of Morwell. Mine fire-related PM2.5 concentrations were provided by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship. Personalised mean 24-h and peak 12-h mine fire-related PM2.5 exposures were estimated for each participant. Data were analysed by multivariate logistic regression. There was some evidence of an association between respiratory outcomes and mine fire PM2.5 exposure. Chronic cough was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.13 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.23) per 10 μg/m3 increment in mean PM2.5 and 1.07 (1.02 to 1.12) per 100 μg/m3 increment in peak PM2.5. Current wheeze was associated with peak PM2.5, OR = 1.06 (1.02 to 1.11) and chronic phlegm with mean PM2.5 OR = 1.10 (1.00 to 1.20). Coal mine PM2.5 smoke exposure was associated with increased odds of experiencing cough, phlegm and wheeze. Males, participants 18–64 years, and those residing in homes constructed from non-brick/concrete materials or homes with tin/metal roofs had higher estimated ORs. These findings contribute to the formation of public health policy responses.

scholarly journals Bi- and Tetracyclic Spirotetronates from the Coal Mine Fire Isolate Streptomyces sp. LC-6-2

2017 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1141-1149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiachang Wang ◽  
Sherif I. Elshahawi ◽  
Wenlong Cai ◽  
Yinan Zhang ◽  
Larissa V. Ponomareva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Streptomyces Sp ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Coal Mine Fire

scholarly journals Mullinamides A and B, new cyclopeptides produced by the Ruth Mullins coal mine fire isolate Streptomyces sp. RM-27-46

2014 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 571-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiachang Wang ◽  
Khaled A Shaaban ◽  
Sherif I Elshahawi ◽  
Larissa V Ponomareva ◽  
Manjula Sunkara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Streptomyces Sp ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Coal Mine Fire

Dynamic numerical simulation of coal mine fire for escape capsule installation

2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 600-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengzhu Zhang ◽  
Zongzhi Wu ◽  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Jianning Kang
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Coal Mine ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Dynamic Numerical Simulation ◽  
Coal Mine Fire
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