Clive Palmer firm fails its environmental duty Hedley Thomas | The Australian | November 06, 2013 CLIVE Palmer and his coal exploration company in Queenslands Galilee Basin finally fell foul of environmental regulators yesterday after a long-running failure to rehabilitate almost 300 exploration holes on private cattle properties. An Environmental Protection Order was issued yesterday against the Palmer United Party leaders Waratah Coal for not complying with their general environmental duty requirements after months of investigation. Local landholders who rely on underground water reservoirs are concerned they have been adversely affected by the drilling. A Queensland government spokesman said the order will require the decommissioning and appropriate rehabilitation, or conversion to water bores of approximately 300 coal exploration drill holes. The maximum penalty for a corporation which fails to comply with such an order is a fine of $1.1 million, while an individual can be imprisoned. The order will require that the work be undertaken in accordance with best-practice methods and with regular updates for owners and regulators. Mr Palmer, who began planning his political assault after the Queensland government favoured rival Gina Rineharts coal project and its multi-billion-dollar infrastructure proposal in central Queensland, was advised yesterday of the order being issued under the Environmental Protection Act. The resources tycoon has carried out exploration activities since August 2009 as part of a bid to further his China First Project, however, his expenditure on it has fallen away since he was not given preferred status by the Queensland government. The exploration work, however, has continued to have an impact on a number of properties and their businesses. The spokesman said the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection had received a number of complaints from landholders regarding possible aquifer contamination and the potential for associated impacts on landholders bores as a result of un-rehabilitated exploration drill holes. Most of these complaints have been regarding approximately 300 exploration drill holes, which have not been decommissioned and extended delays by Waratah in commencing decommissioning activities, he said. Based on the information collected as part of the inspection and subsequent investigation, EHP determined that Waratah had failed to take reasonable and practicable measures to ensure that their general environmental duty was met. The aquifers intersected by the exploration holes could have led to groundwater intermingling with different zones near the Great Artesian Basin, according to a geologist formerly employed by the company, a fully owned subsidiary of Mr Palmers Mineralogy. Mr Palmer has been seeking funds from Chinese and other investors as part of a strategy to develop the coal reserves. He did not respond to questions from The Australian yesterday. Mr Palmer has launched Supreme Court defamation proceedings against the newspaper.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 23:15:49 +0000
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