A serious petroleum and coal mining firm has escaped prosecution for unlawfully utilizing tons of of thousands and thousands of litres water from a river in rural NSW throughout one of many worst droughts within the state’s historical past.
Japanese vitality big Idemitsu was discovered to be unlawfully amassing and utilizing the water at its Boggabri Coal Mine in northeastern NSW following an investigation by the state’s assets regulator.
Anti-mining collective Lock the Gate Alliance alerted the Natural Resources Access Regulator of the violation again in 2021, saying the water ought to have been diverted across the mine into the native creek system.
The regulator confirmed Idemitsu had acted unlawfully however mentioned the events settled to an “enforceable undertaking” negotiated with the corporate itself.
The particulars of the deal haven’t been made public.
“As a result of the investigation, NRAR identified that surface water was taken unlawfully at the mine from an unregulated river water source,” an e-mail correspondence between the regulator and the alliance dated June 16 and seen by AAP learn.
Lock the Gate Alliance coordinator Nic Clyde mentioned the regulator has the power to prosecute coal mining firms for crimes like water theft.
He described its choice to not prosecute Idemitsu over water theft “during the peak of the worst drought in living memory” as being “totally out of touch”.
“Its failure to do so in this instance impairs public faith in its role as an environmental authority,” Mr Clyde mentioned.
The alliance alleges the corporate had been stealing the water for its mine about 120 kilometres northwest of Tamworth since a minimum of 2017.
Boggabri farmer Sally Hunter, whose household was pressured to destock and relocate as a result of impacts of the drought, mentioned the choice to not prosecute was completely unacceptable.
“While we and many other farmers were forced to destock or even sell up due to a lack of water, and the price of water was going through the roof, Idemitsu was siphoning hundreds of millions of litres out of this catchment illegally,” she mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday.
Ms Hunter mentioned the “slap on the wrist” response solely encourages coal mining firms to commit severe environmental crimes with out the danger of great penalty.
“It seems these companies can just do what they like with no repercussions, even during devastating times like the last drought,” she mentioned.
The regulator’s investigation comes two years after Whitehaven Coal Ltd – who had a three way partnership with Idemitsu – was prosecuted for the same offence, and ordered to pay $200,000 within the Land and Environment Court.
At the time, native farmers mentioned the $200,000 positive amounted to nothing greater than a “slap on the wrist”.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
