The Queensland Government has charged two mines in the State’s north west for what it calls serious environmental harm.
The Lady Annie and Great Australia mines will both be prosecuted for breaches of the Environmental Protection Act 1994, Queensland Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Kate Jones said.
According to Jones, the Department of Environment and Resource Management will allege the Lady Annie mine failed to properly handle two water storage facilities which failed, overflowed and caused water to enter the nearby waterways during heavy rainfall in the 2009 wet season.
The Department has also laid charges against Great Australia Mine owner Australian Raw Materials Corporation after a pipe system failed in May 2009, causing a discharge of contaminated water into a nearby watercourse.
The latest environmental accusations follow environmental charges were laid against MMG Century and Birla Mount Gordon late last year.
Jones told Queensland parliament yesterday that further potential breaches involving other mines are being investigated and the Department will not hesitate to charge offenders.
“The Government will not take a backward step in administering its environmental legislation,” she said.
“If they (mines) are complying with their environmental authorities and the legislation, they have nothing to worry about, but we will not allow illegal and reckless environmental harm from their activities.”
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