GOVERNMENT authorities have denied claims of a cover-up over changes to a report on Hunter coal train dust that critics say has downplayed the impact on residents.

"Other conclusions were modified to significantly downplay the pollution levels associated with coal trains."

Federal and state agencies are being accused of accepting an altered study into the health dangers of dust from coal trains to help clear the way for a big expansion of Newcastle's coal export capacity.

Federal and state agencies are being accused of accepting an altered study into the health dangers of dust from coal trains to help clear the way for a big expansion of Newcastle's coal export capacity.

The NSW Greens say they have evidence an ARTC report into coal train dust was substantially altered before its release. The Greens say the words 'not' or 'no' were added or deleted in some paragraphs, reversing their meaning and the report's findings in regards to air pollution.  Jill spoke to Senator Lee Rhiannon from the Greens and to Associate Professor Nick Higginbotham, a member of the Coal Train Action Group, who has been analysing the report.

“By deleting or inserting the word 'no' or 'not', a very different picture of the impacts of coal trains on air quality in Newcastle and the Lower Hunter is reached,” the group said in a statement. “Other conclusions were modified to significantly downplay the pollution levels associated with coal trains, and the released report saw three new conclusions added and one deleted."

"By deleting or inserting the word 'no' or 'not', a very different picture of the impacts of coal trains on air quality in Newcastle and the Lower Hunter is reached.

"The published version concludes that coal trains create much lower levels of dangerous particle pollution," he said. "The NSW Government can't base policy decisions about a fourth coal terminal or covering coal wagons on such contradictory advice."

The NSW government changed adverse findings of a report on coal train pollution to suit its political goals, a community action group says.

The Greens claim a report into pollution caused by Hunter coal trains was altered.

The Particulate Emissions from Coal Trains report for the nationally owned Australian Rail Track Corporation had 15 of its 18 conclusions changed between the submission of the draft version dated May 24 and the version made public seven days later, said James Whelan, chair of the dust and health committee of the Coal Terminal Action Group.

“The chair of the (NSW Environment Protection Authority) Barry Buffier would appear to have been very gullible and perhaps hasty to make policy announcements on the back of a report that quite clearly contradicted a version of the report he had received six days previously,” Dr Whelan said.

An environment study into the effects of dust from coal trains has apparently been doctored, with the federal and NSW government misled – perhaps willingly, according to a local activist group and the Greens.

"The environmental consultants that prepared this report discovered an error in the calculations while preparing the final report and they adjusted the findings accordingly," it said in a statement.

“By deleting or inserting the word ‘no’ or ‘not’, a very different picture of the impacts of coal trains on air quality in Newcastle and the Lower Hunter is reached.

The Environment Protection Authority chairman and chief executive, Barry Buffier, said: ‘‘The EPA will not consider imposing additional requirements on industry, such as covering of coal loads, unless clear evidence becomes available which demonstrates the need for further studies or measures to control coal dust emissions from loaded coal trains."

Five months after emissions monitoring ceased and only six days before it was released, the report on dust from Newcastle coal trains was altered contradicting initial findings that "coal trains are much more polluting", the Coal Terminal Action Group says.

INFORMATION in an environmental report about dust from coal trains in Newcastle was altered from its draft to the one released to the public, a community group claims.