Lock the Gate Alliance commends AgForce and local farmers for taking strong action against Glencore’s plan to dump waste carbon from the Millmerran coal fired power station into Great Artesian Basin aquifers.
AgForce announced it was challenging the project in the Federal Court today.
Lock the Gate Alliance National Coordinator Ellen Roberts said it was disappointing the Federal Government hadn’t stepped in already to stop the clearly unacceptable project.
“The Great Artesian Basin is too important for a risky project like Glencore’s waste dumping proposal,” she said.
“Glencore’s plan threatens groundwater that is crucial for farmers in this part of Queensland. Water security is just too important - it shouldn’t be put at risk, particularly when Glencore doesn’t even seem to understand the quality of the groundwater it wants to drill through.
“Without this groundwater, farming wouldn’t be possible across a huge swathe of inland Queensland. The fact Glencore was even able to submit such an inappropriate proposal shows just how broken environment laws really are.
“We commend the strong action taken by AgForce and local farmers. We’re calling on the Federal Government to step up and make it clear to Glencore that its Great Artesian Basin waste carbon dumping plan will never be approved.”
Glencore has faced fierce criticism from agriculture and environment groups over its waste carbon dumping proposal since it was first announced. Last year, the company was exposed for incorrectly describing the water in the aquifer it would drill through as being unsuitable for livestock watering, despite it being used by local farmers for decades.
Lock the Gate also previously revealed that while Glencore publicly claims the project is for carbon capture and storage, financial statements suggest New Hope subsidiary Bridgeport is hopeful 120,000 tonnes of the waste could be used each year for “enhanced oil recovery” near the company’s depleted Moonie oil fields.
ENDS