Today, anti-coal activist organisations Environmental Justice Australia and Mackay Conservation Group released a statement containing false allegations regarding sediment controls on Bravus’ Carmichael mine and rail project sites. These allegations are the latest tactic in a decade-long misinformation campaign by the anti-fossil fuel movement in Australia to undermine the reputation of the Carmichael Project and halt or delay its construction. In our response below we address and refute the allegations that have been made. Our statement is lengthy to ensure we provide full and transparent information to fully refute the new set of false and misleading claims that have been made.
The following statement can be attributed to a Bravus spokesperson:
“Bravus Mining and Resources is constructing the Carmichael Mine and Rail Project, which comprises a 10 million tonne per annum thermal coal mine, located more than 300km inland from the Great Barrier Reef. It also includes a 200km narrow gauge rail line to connect the Carmichael Mine to the North Queensland Export Terminal via existing rail infrastructure.
“We refute the allegations made today by anti-coal activist organisations Environmental Justice Australia and Mackay Conservation Group, about the appropriateness of the sediment controls we have in place to manage dirty rainwater run-off and flood waters at our remote rail construction sites.
“We have not received any information or communications from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science regarding a complaint or investigation about sediment controls at any of the Carmichael Project construction sites in central Queensland.
“The Carmichael Project takes our environmental obligations seriously and we have erosion and sediment control measures in place at all of our construction sites, to ensure we comply with our environmental approvals for daily operations and extreme weather events.
“These environmental controls align to the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) Best Practice Erosion and Sediment Control Guidelines. This is industry best-practice in line with the standards outlined in the project approvals.
“Our contractors use Certified Practitioner Erosion Sediment Control specialist design erosion andsediment control plans, which are then implemented and monitored in accordance to IECA Guidelines.
“Prior to Christmas a Certified Practitioner Erosion Sediment Control expert undertook routineinspections with our contractors at our rail construction site, as part of our wet weather preparation.
“Over January, central Queensland received heavy rainfall.
“There was widespread and localised flooding during January, and some parts of our site were inundated with storm water. The photos released by Environmental Justice Australia, which were illegally taken, show the stormwater flooding.
“Flooding or significant movement of water across the site, does not mean we are not compliant with
our conditions.
“We are required to design our sediment controls for specific rain event levels. When rain events exceed those levels, sediment controls can be affected.
“We monitor all our environmental controls frequently, including during periods of heavy rain such as those in January, and we believe all of them to be operating in accordance with our conditions.
“Environmental Justice Australia have also made allegations that sediment controls in June 2019 were
not sufficient, and referred to an independent report produced for the Isaac Regional Council.
“Following that report, Isaac Regional Council wrote to Bravus, advising an investigation had occurred. Isaac Regional Council subsequently stated that the actions undertaken by Bravus were satisfactory.
“The Carmichael Project has some of the strictest environmental conditions ever imposed on a mining project in Australia.
“Bravus holds over 100 environmental approvals, and manages thousands of conditions and commitments to the environment.
“Our environmental plans and strategies were prepared by experts with many of these plans also reviewed by third-party specialists.”
