Whitehaven Coal fined

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has fined Whitehaven Coal $15,000 for breaching the annual limit of coal production at its Tarrawonga mine near Boggabri.

A condition on the company’s Environment Protection Licence (EPL) limits coal production to 2 million tonnes per year but Tarrawonga’s Annual Return showed that the total production for the 2013-14 reporting year was 2,136,045 tonnes.

The EPA is not aware of any environmental impacts as a result of this increased production, but the agency stated that any operator who breaches the conditions of their EPL is a concern.

Whitehaven was also fined $3000 by the NSW Department of Planning and Compliance earlier this year for compliance issues at its Maules Creek Coal Mine. 

Whitehaven did not invite the Community Consultative Committee’s environmental representative, Greening Australia, to three consecutive meetings, nor did the company provide the group with any information from the meetings. 

Greening Australia has since resigned as the committee’s environmental representative and the mine is still working to find a replacement.

Community consultative committees are a way for mines to work openly with the community on any issues around the mine’s operation and environmental performance.

Landholder representative for the committee, Peter Watson, said an environmental representative is needed urgently.  

“They’re working in threatened ecosystems, in their approval document it’s recommended they have an environmental representative,” he said.

“I think there are a few instances where they need to do more to follow the guidelines.”

Community members who have a concern about environmental impacts or knowledge of a particular breach or pollution incident may contact the EPA’s 24 hour Environment Line on 131 555.