The greenhouse gas silently leaking into the Dharawal National Park
For decades, dangerous methane gas has been leaking from an underground coal mine into the Dharawal National Park, southwest of Sydney.
This powerful greenhouse gas continues to leak unchecked from disused ventilation shafts, potentially putting human health and the local environment at risk.
Our client thinks it’s time the owner of the Appin Coal Mine was held accountable and made to fulfil its obligations to rehabilitate the site.
“They are emitting methane and methane is a really potent greenhouse gas, and it’s appalling that they’ve been doing so for thirty years.”
Protect Our Water Catchment community group member Deirdre Stuart.
Methane’s harmful impacts
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas which traps heat in our atmosphere at a higher rate than carbon dioxide when it first enters the atmosphere.
Methane leaks from coal and gas developments, known as fugitive emissions, are a serious problem. The International Energy Agency estimates Australian coal and gas production could be emitting more than double the methane that companies are reporting.
Underestimated methane emissions could put Australia’s climate targets out of reach.
Methane pollution has local impacts too. It reacts in our atmosphere to form ground-level ozone, which is linked to respiratory health problems and even early death. Ground-level ozone also harms forests and sensitive ecosystems.
“Just because people can’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t do damage to our climate and to the environment, I’m really angry.”
Protect Our Water Catchment community group member Deirdre Stuart.
In harm’s way
Dharawal National Park is an important ecosystem, home to 17 vulnerable, rare or threatened species. More than 500 plant species occur within the park, providing a home to a wide range of animals, including koalas and long-nosed potoroos, swamp wallabies, eastern wallaroos, and New Holland honeyeaters.
In addition to leaking methane, stockpiles of coal wash have been found in Dharawal National Park. We’ve written numerous letters to regulators on our client’s behalf, requesting that they order the company to remove the stockpiles and rehabilitate that area of the National Park. Both the leaking methane and the coal waste stockpiles pose a bushfire threat to this area of significant biodiversity.
National parks shouldn’t be dumping grounds for mining waste.
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On behalf of our clients, Protect Our Water Catchment (POWC), we are calling on government regulators to issue orders to ensure the mine owner complies with conditions of its mining lease and planning approval to rehabilitate the site and plug the leak.
The company that owns Appin Coal Mine is selling the site but has not finalised a plan to rehabilitate it. Our lawyers are helping POWC by writing to regulators to ensure the company obeys the law by rehabilitating the site. The mine should not be sold before this urgent rehabilitation work is done.
Mining companies shouldn’t be allowed to leave sites unrehabilitated, particularly when they are leaking potent greenhouse gases which continue to fuel climate destruction.
Image: Protect Our Water Catchment members Tom Kristensen and Deirdre Stuart.
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Driven by dedicated supporters like you, Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) is the largest environmental legal centre in the Australia-Pacific, dedicated to protecting our climate, communities and shared environment by running groundbreaking legal cases, leading law reform and providing access to justice.
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