Mining Site Rehabilitation….How coal companies avoid and minimise their obligations in NSW, Qld.

Muswellbrook Coal Mine

Do mining companies rehabilitate sites after they have removed the coal?

What are the state laws with regards to this, and more importantly what actually happens?

In Queensland there are the new Chain of Responsibility Laws, which have just today (26th May) for the first time been enacted requiring Linc Energy’s former CEO to decommission the sites waste water dams.  We will watch the outcome of this with interest.

In April, a new report was released by Environmental Justice Australia’s Climate & Finance program which looked “at six methods that coal companies operating in Australia use to avoid, minimise or delay their rehabilitation obligations in New South Wales and Queensland.”

#1 CARE AND MAINTENANCE

#2 EXTRACT UNTIL CASH RESERVES RUN DRY

#3 DON’T REHABILITATE

#4 SELL TO AN UNKNOWN MINNOW

#5 EXPAND

#6 INAPPROPRIATE  DISCOUNTS

Read the full report here https://envirojustice.org.au/blog/dodging-clean-up-costs-six-tricks-coal-mining-companies-play