EPA to check Wheatstone CO2
The WA Government has been accused of putting jobs at risk by reviewing greenhouse gas emissions from the Wheatstone natural gas project.
The Environmental Protection Authority has been tasked with reviewing annual emissions reporting by Chevron at its Wheatstone project.
Opposition leader Mike Nahan says important information about CO2 emissions was known before the project started in October last year.
“The fact they are reviewing it after the project is done, after $40 billion was invested, is a real attack on the state’s sovereign risk,” he told reporters.
The giant LNG plant was originally approved in 2011, on the condition that it would contribute $13 million in environmental offsets and carbon offsets for the estimated 10.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year, which would account for nearly 12 per cent of WA’s total carbon pollution.
But that requirement was waived in 2013.
The Opposition environment spokesperson Steve Thomas says the environment minister tried to sneak the review through.
“His failure to make any public comments explaining the rationale for this review, which has the potential for significant ramifications throughout the mining and resources sector, is alarming,” Dr Thomas said.