Coal company fined for water pollution twice in three weeks

In the Land and Environment Court on Thursday, Moolarben Coal Operations was fined $112,500 for polluting waters near Mudgee. This is the second fine of this size that the company has received in three weeks.

The court heard the company polluted Bora Creek and a 7½-kilometre stretch of the Goulburn River in December 2009 by intentionally releasing around 18.7 million litres of water containing earth and sediment from its mine site. Environment Protection Authority acting chief environmental regulator Mark Gifford said the pollution was authorised by the company in order to protect its own site.

"This latest offence involved the general manager of the company directing an employee to remove a structure preventing dirty water from flowing down Bora Creek. This was done intentionally due to concerns that water from heavy rainfall would build up and damage infrastructure on site," Gifford said in a statement.

It was the second recent fine the company had been handed after a separate offence landed them a $105,000 penalty in March.

"These successful prosecutions and sentences should serve as a warning to other companies that adequate sediment and erosion controls are essential whilst undertaking earthworks," Gifford said.

Source: AAP