Mining company Adani must accept responsibility for polluting the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area at levels eight times greater than its licence allowed, the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) said today.
Adani today pleaded not guilty in Bowen Magistrates Court to breaching its pollution licence and polluting the Great Barrier Reef in 2017, with a hearing date set for July 22.
Adani, the operator of the Abbot Point port, is being prosecuted by the Queensland government for the pollution breach in 2017 during cyclone Debbie, when it spilt water with more than eight times the allowable level of coal particles into the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Dr Lissa Schindler, AMCS Great Barrier Reef Campaign Manager, said:
“Adani is refusing to take responsibility for its pollution breach. Adani’s own letter to the Queensland government following the incident showed it discharged water contaminated by coal in amounts well above the temporary licence it was handed by the Queensland Environment Department during Cyclone Debbie.”
“This is not a one off event. This year Adani again breached their licence when coal-contaminated water overflowed from their Abbot Point port into the Caley Valley Wetlands – a site of national significance.”
“The second breach in only two years shows Adani is failing to comply with its legal obligations to protect the environment.”
“This is a company that cannot be trusted with our precious Reef.”
“Our Great Barrier Reef is a global treasure and one of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems that gives jobs to more than 64,000 people. But it is in grave danger due to climate change that’s being mostly driven by mining and burning coal.”
“Our choice is clear. We can give our Reef a fighting chance and treat it as the World Heritage treasure that it is, or we can let mining giants wreak havoc on its very future.”
ENDS
AMCS Media adviser Graham Readfearn (m) 0406 241081 (email) [email protected]