9 May 2016
Court hearing to protect Sydney’s drinking water starts
A landmark court hearing to prove that the Springvale coal mine on the edge of the Blue Mountains is illegally polluting Sydney’s drinking water will start today.
4nature President, Andrew Cox, said, “The quality of Sydney’s drinking water is protected by law. 4nature is seeking to prove that the Springvale coal mine will lower the water quality of water flowing into the Coxs River and ultimately Sydney’s main drinking water supply.”
“Mining should not be exempt from these important laws. Everybody in the catchment in has to play their part.
“Up to 19 million litres of polluted water per day is being discharged from the Springvale underground coal mine. The water contains high levels of phosphorous, nitrogen, salts and metals.
“All developments are required to comply with the drinking water catchment laws which are designed to progressively improve the quality of water arriving in Sydney’s stored water including Warragamba Dam, Sydney’s main water supply.
“For years community monitoring has recorded high levels of salts and other contaminants in the Coxs River downstream of Springvale and other underground coal mines. The government can no longer ignore this serious problem.”
“Community members from Sydney and the Blue Mountains are assembling outside the Land and Environment Count in Sydney prior to the start of the case to demonstrate their support.
The court hearing is scheduled for Monday 9th May and Tuesday 10th May and mining operations will be able to continue until the court judgement is handed down.
4nature is a volunteer-based conservation group established in 2010 seeking to protect the natural environment in Australia and the South Pacific.
The case is supported by Blue Mountains Conservation Society, Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Colong Foundation for Wilderness, Lithgow Environment, National Parks Association of NSW and the Australian Conservation Foundation.
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Coal and gas
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