Teresa coal project
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The Teresa coal project is a proposed underground pulverised coal injection (PCI) coal mine. The application is considered lapsed by the Queensland Government. If the mine were to be constructed it would be located 17km north of Emerald in Central Queensland.[1]
If commenced the mine could last 30 years. Product coal would be trucked off site to the Gregory-Burngrove railway line approximately 30km to the east, and transported for export.[1]
The proponents of the mine were New Emerald Coal, a wholly owned subsidiary of Linc Energy.[2] Linc Energy has liquidated.
Linc Energy has been found guilty of causing serious environmental harm at its underground coal gasification plant on Queensland's western Darling Downs. Linc injected air into underground combustion chambers at pressures that were too high, causing the rock surrounding the coal seam to fracture and allowing the escape of toxic gases.[3]
Contents
Location
The undated image below shows the exact location of the proposed mine.[4]
Coal Mine Background
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was made available to the public for review in February 2014, and submissions about the EIS were given to the proponent in April 2014.
United Mining Group originally had until 15 May 2015 to submit a response to submissions on the EIS to the department for assessment but this did not happen. Consequently, the EIS process was suspended. The proponent then had until 13 May 2016 to submit the response to submissions on the EIS. However, this did not happen, and consequently, the submitted EIS has lapsed.[1] For the project to be reconsidered this process would have to be repeated.
Project Details
- Sponsor: New Emerald Coal[1]
- Parent Company: Linc Energy[1]
- Location: 17km north of Emerald[1]
- GPS Coordinates: -23.347310, 148.154822 (exact)[4]
- Status: Development (lapsed)
- Production Capacity: 6.4 mtpa[1]
- Total Resource: 310 million tonnes[1]
- Mineable Reserves: 49.6 million tonnes[5]
- Coal type: PCI[1]
- Mine Size: 10,000 hectares[1]
- Mine Type: Underground[1]
- Start Year:
- Source of Financing:
Opposition
Lock the Gate oppose the mine. On their website, they say: "*This project would lead to the loss of 2,781ha of rain-fed cropping land.
- Subsidence modelling predicts that the mine will cause depressions of up to 2.4 metres, with the north section of the mine area, supporting the highest quality cropping land, experiencing the worst predicted subsidence.
- According to local knowledge, Theresa Creek has a volatile history of sudden and severe flooding and alterations to the surrounding landscape can cause significant unforeseen and detrimental impacts. The assessment provided by the company of these flooding impacts has been described by a local farmer as “incompetent.”
- No impacts of health problems that could occur from elevated coal dust exposure have been discussed or modelled, although the EIS indicates that statutory air quality standards will be breached by this mine.
- As the proposed workforce will be predominately fly-in-fly-out, the social and economic impacts will be profound. The proponent acknowledges that “during community consultation, it was identified that behaviour of the non-resident workforce and its impact on community values is a concern for the local community” including trespass, theft, illegal hunting, violence, anti-social behaviour and drug and alcohol abuse.
- The assessment of the economics of the project fails to describe the existing economic environment in the Central Queensland cropping and pastoral district where the impacts will occur, or the considerable contribution that this district makes to the regional economy.
- To the south-west of the project area, some landholders will experience 5.7m drawdown of groundwater as a result of the mine. Eight groundwater springs are predicted to dry up because of a 3.2m drawdown."
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Queensland Government, "Teresa coal project", Queensland Government Withdrawn and lapsed projects website, 24 July 2019.
- ↑ Mining Monthly, "Teresa longwall project advances", Australia's Mining Month website, 25 February 2014.
- ↑ Ellie Sibson, "Linc Energy found guilty of serious environmental harm at controversial UCG plant", ABC News website, 9 April 2018.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 New Emerald Coal, "Teresa Project Underground Coal Reserves Qualified Person's Report", page 26, November 2013.
- ↑ New Emerald Coal, "Teresa Project Underground Coal Reserves Qualified Person's Report", page 5, November 2013.
