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Category: Oil and Gas / Mining Environmental Issues / Environmental Health / State Parliament

QCG ordered to reduce noise at CSG plant

Tuesday, 18 Oct 2016 14:21:11 | Stephanie Smail

Narelle and Allan Nothdurft had made numerous complaints to the State Government. (ABC News: Stephanie Smail)

Queensland coal seam gas operator QGC has been issued an Environmental Protection Order (EPO) over noise emanating from a project on the western Darling Downs.

The ABC can reveal the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has ordered QGC to reduce noise levels at its Kenya Gas Project near Chinchilla, after monitoring revealed they were too high.

It is believed the company could face fines up to $3.8 million and individual staff could be forced to pay up to $760,000 if the EPO is breached.

The Nothdurft family, who live near the plant, said they had borne the brunt of the noise and had made 32 formal complaints to the State Government over a four-year period.

Allan Nothdurft said noise from the plant had severely impacted his family, including their ability to sleep.

He said he was relieved their concerns have been vindicated.

"This EPO shows that our fears and concerns are genuine and that the CSG industry's so-called 'robust regulation' doesn't actually exist, at least not in this case," he said.

"We've had to live with severe noise disruption and with QGC telling us they were within their limits for the last four years.

"This shows noise monitoring conducted by QGC itself does not stack up, and the original 'modelling', which was meant to show it could comply with the noise limits, doesn't stack up either."

The Nothdurft family began proceedings against QGC earlier this year and that matter is still before the courts.

QGC has asked the environment department to review the EPO.

The department said that review was underway.

AustraliaPlus


 

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