Dust nuisance

Dust can be a major issue during construction and demolition work, resulting from activities such as excavation, burning, blasting and, in particular, vehicles using haul roads.

Dust is also an issue at quarries, waste facilities, ports and other industrial sites. Typical operational sources include stack emissions, stockpiling and loading and unloading materials.

Reducing the risk of dust nuisance

Methods to reduce the risk of causing dust nuisance include the following:

• Installation of wheel washing facilities at site entrances/exits.
• Water spraying of haul roads and stockpiles.
• Reduction of speeds on haul roads.
• Seeding stockpiles for long-term cover.
• Seeding stockpiles with bonding agents.
• Sheeting of vehicles.
• Using sealed or sheeted containers/skips for waste materials.
• Erecting barriers or sheeting around works.
• Use of chutes to move materials.
• Fitting and maintaining of grit and dust arrestment plant.

When does dust become a statutory nuisance?

We would have to consider the following to assess whether dust had become a statutory nuisance:

• How much dust was affecting nearby properties.
• How often was the dust occurring.
• Whether the dust is affecting persons' enjoyment of their property.
• Whether the business was using something we call Best Practical Means (BPM) to keep the dust down to a minimum. This means the methods they are using for that particular task is the best available for that task, taking into account cost and technology.

See what is a statutory nuisance for further information.