Sunday, June 2, 2013

Moolarben Coal Mine applies to be allowed to pollute Goulburn River when it rains moderately.


Since arriving back from the Drip last week, we have heard from Julia that Moolarben Coal Mine (MCM) has just put out on exhibition yet another Mine Modification – ‘MCM optimisation Mod 9”. She said it is applying to significantly increase the open pit size of the Stage 1 approval. This involves taking out most of a native vegetated hillside comprised of 171 hectares of native veg (including EPBC Grassy Box Woodlands) in the Moolarben Valley.

A stand out concern is the increased risk of downstream water pollution into the Goulburn River from these massive pits adjacent to the Moolarben creek (upper tributary of the Goulburn)
– MCO are applying for a ‘get out of jail clause’ to their Environmental Pollution License – so they can discharge with limits whenever we receive moderate train fall over 5 days period

“However, C
ondition L2.6 in the proposed EPL states that the limits specified in Table 2.9 and
Table 2.10 do not apply when the discharge occurs solely as a result of rainfall measured at the
site which exceeds 44mm of rainfall over a consecutive 5-day period”.
This clause is an admission that the only way to manage the proposed scale of open pits is to have free rein to pollute the river whenever moderate rain falls.

In the first 3 months of 2013 MCM would have been able to discharge at least 3 times under these non- conditions.

Submissions to the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure are due by 14 June 2013.

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