It and the Queensland government were aware polluted water could spill during 2017 cyclone, says Mackay Conservation Group

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Adani and the Queensland government were aware that polluted water could be released from the company’s Abbot Point coal terminal during cyclone Debbie in 2017, conservationists say.

Adani was granted a temporary emissions licence on 27 March last year, before cyclone Debbie made landfall, to pollute the nearby Caley Valley wetlands in an area referred to as W1.

After the cyclone hit, the government issued an amended licence that retrospectively allowed increased pollution from a second location, referred to as W2, towards the Great Barrier Reef world heritage area.

Last year the Queensland government issued a penalty notice to Adani for breaching the amended licence by more than 800%.

Documents obtained by the Mackay Conservation Group under Queensland’s right to information laws, and reported by the ABC, show correspondence between Adani and the Queensland environment department in the hours leading up the cyclone.

Footage shows wetlands blackened by Abbot Point coal dust, activists say Read more

The group, which waited more than a year for the information after Adani fought its release, said the emails appear to show both the company and the government were aware the spills were likely to breach the licence.

The emails show that after Adani received its temporary emissions licence on 27 March, the company sent a last minute email that said: “Sorry I just noticed W2 wasn’t included in the TEL, is it possible to include this location?”

The following morning the department replied asking if the amended licence for W2 was still required.

About 4.30pm on 28 March, hours after the cyclone made landfall, an Adani employee replied saying “Yes please” and the department responded: “Just give me a little detail and we can include and update TEL.”

Adani sent the information about 5pm, telling the department: “Releases from this location are small in volume however the TSS [total suspended solids] is always greater than 30mg/L (approx between 500+ to 900 from memory!) as this location is actually a sump and prior to any treatment process (a historical legacy discharge location).”

The temporary licence granted to Adani allowed for the release of water with a concentration of suspended solids of up to 100mg per litre.

Peter McCallum, coordinator of the Mackay Conservation Group, said the emails show the company knew the pollution could occur.

“These documents that Adani didn’t want released to the public show they were fully aware there was a high concentration of pollutants in the water that would be released,” he said.

“Time is running out for the Queensland government to prosecute Adani for breaking the licence by 800%.”

Adani has been fighting the $12,190 fine that was issued for the breach.

A spokeswoman for Adani said the company “categorically denies” allegations that it attempted to hide information relating to the licences.

“These reports are misleading and do not contain an accurate account of events,” she said.

Suspicions Adani altered lab report while appealing fine for Abbot Point coal spill Read more

“Adani was simply concerned that certain content requested by the Mackay Conservation [Group] under right to information provisions would not be read in the full context of the situation, and may be selectively used to attempt to damage Adani.”

She said the initial application for the temporary emissions licence applied to both W1 and W2 and “a clerical error by the regulator during the issue of the TEL meant W2 was initially omitted and was later added after the regulator was notified of the mistake”.

She said the company had complied with all the environmental requirements of the licence.

“We have therefore elected to have the matter heard by a magistrate rather than pay a fine which should not have been issued. We look forward to a resolution of the matter,” she said.

The Queensland environment and science department said it would not comment because the matter was still under investigation.

Christian Slattery, the Stop Adani campaigner for the Australian Conservation Foundation, said the government should hold the company accountable.

“Our elected representatives have consistently stated that Adani will be subject to strict environmental conditions,” he said. “But unless these laws are enforced, they aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.”