The Federal Environment Department has weakened pollution rules for Wollongong Resources’ shuttered Russell Vale coal mine, allowing the release of metals into a popular local creek more than 100 times higher than the original conditions permitted.
The increase in the allowable level of vanadium and antimony follows several contamination events involving the metals in Bellambi Gully Creek when the mine failed to meet previous conditions.
Photos of Bellambi Gully Creek and Kaye Osborn from Illawarra Residents for Responsible Mining inc are available here.
An EPBC notice, published last month, shows the Bellambi Gully Creek pollution limits for the metals that the mine must not exceed have been increased more than one hundred fold and are no longer compliant with federal guidelines. See “attachment c” table in this earlier notice from three months ago for comparison.
This followed two EPBC compliance reports published by the company last year, (one for Q1 and one for Q3), which revealed multiple exceedances of the vanadium and antimony limits.
Exposure to vanadium and antimony has been linked to serious health consequences such as respiratory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal illnesses.
Wollong Resources was ordered to shut down Russell Vale coal mine early last year, following a series of underground fires, meaning these contamination events have occurred while the mine is closed.
Kaye Osborn from Illawarra Residents for Responsible Mining inc said, “Bellambi Gully Creek flows through the suburbs and out to sea at Bellambi Beach. These waters are home to many much loved species of wildlife. Pelicans float in the estuary, while wild ducks and swamp hens feed and nest by the shore. Kids go fishing in this water.
“It’s really disrespectful to the people of the Illawarra for the Environment Department to increase pollution limits. This recent change to the EPBC approval has increased the level of antimony and vanadium to exceed the Australia and New Zealand 2018 water quality guidelines (See background).
“This waterway should not be a toxic dump for Wollongong Resources’ Russell Vale coal mine. Unfortunately it seems the Federal Environment Department believes otherwise, and it’s up to locals to call it out and fight back.”
Lock the Gate Alliance Head of Research and Investigations Georgina Woods said, “It looks like this coal mine has been unable to meet its environmental conditions and the Environment Department has chucked out the guidelines and changed the mine’s conditions so it can increase pollution without technically breaking any rules.
“The public wants clean water and a healthy environment and the community in the Illawarra need governments to stand up for them and make Wollongong Coal keep its toxic metals out of Bellambi Creek.
“This coal mine has repeatedly polluted local waterways and the Federal Government needs to put the community’s interest first and prosecute this coal company when it breaches its commitments rather than letting it off the hook.”
ENDS
Background:
This most recent change to the approval takes Antinomy and Vanadium outside ANZG 2018 default guidelines, and now state: “based on ANZG 2018 default guideline values, except those for Antinomy and Vanadium“ (P 19)
The previous condition stated (p19): “based on ANZG 2018 default guidelines".