Adani mining giant to fight $12k fine for environmental breach

Updated

Indian mining giant Adani will contest a fine of just over $12,000 issued by the Queensland Government over the unauthorised release of sediment stormwater from the Abbot Point coal terminal.

Adani gave notice to the state environment department that they would contest the fine in court.

The company was granted a temporary emissions licence to help it manage water on the site during Tropical Cyclone Debbie.

The environment department said Adani later advised it had breached the conditions, after releasing sediment amounts more than eight times the level it was licenced for.

A spokesperson for Adani declined to comment as the matter is before the courts.

The fine came under criticism by environmental groups, who labelled it as inadequate.

Environment Minister Steven Miles also declined to comment.

Investigations over the environmental impact of the release continue.

The company faces a possible multi-million-dollar fine if it is proven they caused environmental harm.

The environment department previously told the ABC corporations can be fined up to $3.8 million for wilful non-compliance of temporary emissions licenses causing environmental harm and up to $2.7 million for unintentional non-compliance.

Topics: pollution, environment, water-pollution, mining-industry, mining-environmental-issues, business-economics-and-finance, bowen-4805, qld, australia

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