COAL and Allied’s Mt Thorley Operations Pty Ltd has pleaded guilty to a water pollution incident and was convicted and fined $45,000 in the NSW Land and Environment Court on Friday and ordered to pay $51,000 in prosecutor’s costs
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Director North, Gary Davey, said the incident, which occurred in February 2012, could have been prevented if the mine had the correct sediment controls in place.
“In February last year the mine, that Coal and Allied Operations manage for Rio Tinto at Mt Thorley, lost approximately six million litres of sediment laden water off its site, that then entered a body of water known as Salt Pan Creek which leads into Newport Farm Lagoon and Wollombi Brook,” Mr Davey said.
“The incident was discovered by EPA Officers on a routine site inspection to the mine.
“The discharge of polluted and degraded water can have the potential to cause harm to the environment and the incident could have been prevented if the mine had some basic infrastructure in place to capture run off and manage sediment.
“Sediment controls should be standard in mines like these.
“Today’s result should demonstrate to mines and other industry that they have a responsibility to protect nearby waterways.”
Mr Davey said that since the incident Coal & Allied had undertaken a number of Pollution Reduction Programs to improve its sediment controls and drainage.
A spokesperson for Coal & Allied said the event happened during a heavy rainfall event in early February 2012.
“On-mine affected water containing soil from civil works associated with the erection of a visual bund , exited Mount Thorley Operations’ western boundary and flowed into land owned by Coal & Allied.
“Sediment and erosion controls were in place at the time of the event but were unable to contain all the water received from the rainfall event.”
“Coal & Allied has undertaken further works to improve its erosion and sediment control measures at Mount Thorley with more than $500,000 invested in measures such as water channels, sediment controls barriers and enhanced monitoring.”