7 April 2022

Maules Creek Coal Pty Ltd is Convicted for Three Offences of Polluting Waters at Back Creek

Maules Creek Coal Pty Ltd (“MCC”) has been convicted by the Land and Environment Court of NSW (“the Court”) for having committed three offences against s 120(1) of the Protection of the Environment operations Act 1997 of having polluted waters. Two offences committed on 16 January and 8 February 2020, involved an amount of water containing sediment leaving the mine site and entering Back Creek. On 8 February 2020 the water that left the mine site and entered Back Creek contained some expanded polystyrene beads. At the time of the commission of the offences, expanded polystyrene beads were used in the preparation of explosives at the Maules Creek coal mine. MCC was prosecuted by the Environment Protection Authority (“the EPA”).

MCC cooperated with the EPA during the course of its investigation and pleaded guilty to each of the three charges.

The Court convicted MCC of each of the offences and ordered it to pay a total of $158,750 to the Environmental Trust, to pay the EPA’s investigation costs fixed in the amount of $3,003, and in addition, to pay the EPA’s legal costs as agreed or assessed. MCC was also ordered to publish this notice at its own expense.

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