The Merriwa Healthy Environment Group and Merriwa Air Quality Monitor Group may have stepped away from their usual focus of air quality briefly last month to open the eyes of fellow residents with a screening of Gasland, but the group’s hopes for a more advanced air quality monitor are still strong.

The group gained the Upper Hunter Shire Council’s support to make a submission to the Upper Hunter Air Quality Monitoring Network Advis-ory Committee on the possibility of gaining a more definite air quality monitor.

Merriwa has already been ear marked to receive a monitor under the committee’s scheme; however the group has requested a monitor that measures sub 2.5 micron compared to 10 microns.

The group also requested the council’s support to purchase an additional independent air quality monitor to detect smaller particles, sub 0.05 microns, and the type of pollution in the district.

Merriwa Air Quality Monitor Group member Graham Brown said although the monitor had been proposed to be installed at Merriwa Central School, there was no guarantee that the data was being obtained.

He said the group’s interest in coal seam gas was linked as it would see a lot of methane escape into the air.

“More than 70 per cent of working wells leak and no one knows what effect that will have on the air quality in the Upper Hunter,” Mr Brown said.

Another member Ted Finnie said there were many chemical pollutants coming out of coal mines that were not being measured by the 10 micron monitors, both toxic and carcinogenic pollutants.

Mr Finnie said the current air quality in Merriwa was very poor and people want to know exactly what is in the air.

“There is evidence out there showing the negative effects on health including increased incidence of autism and lung problems, and we are scared stiff it’s going to happen in Merriwa,” Mr Finnie said.

Upper Hunter Shire councillor Ean Cottle said he believed it was important to look at what is in the air.

“It’s a well known fact this area of the Upper Hunter is subject to forms of asthma so if the monitor can identify some of these nasties it would be very good.”