An Indian coal-mining giant’s plans to mine for coal under the Illawarra escarpment could drain the headwaters of the Nepean and Avon Rivers, Southern Highlands swamps and the Kangaloon aquifer, environment groups have warned.
The Total Environment Centre, Rivers SOS, and Colong Foundation for Wilderness have called for an inquiry into the environmental effects of longwall mining plans announced by Gujarat NRE Coke in a recent report to the Australian Stock Exchange.
Gujarat NRE, India’s largest independent coke producer, last month opened the NRE Wongawilli colliery southwest of Wollongong, incorporating the former BHP Billiton Delta coal mine and NRE Avondale mine.
In full production, the mine will deliver up to 2.5 million tonnes of hard coking coal for export to the Indian steel industry.
In its “Vision 2020: India on Steroids” report, Gujarat NRE outlines plans to begin longwall mining from Wongawilli in April 2009, and from a second mine known as NRE1 from 2013.
But environmental groups have warned longwall mining could threaten the environment as well as Sydney’s drinking water.
The groups say the Wongawilli longwall mine will affect the headwaters of the Nepean and Avon Rivers, upland swamps and the Kangaloon aquifer, and that longwall mining from NRE1 will undermine the Cataract Dam and tributaries of the Cataract River.
For the full story see the Southern Highland News, Wednesday, May 28
Email a friend