Extract from ABC News
Environment Victoria has launched legal action against the state's environmental watchdog and brown coal power plants for failing to limit pollution.
Key points:
- Environment Victoria has launched Supreme Court action against the EPA and three energy companies over pollution
- They claim the operating licences the EPA approved for Victoria's coal-powered stations are unlawful under climate change laws
- The case is the first test of the state's climate change legislation
The group is taking action in the Supreme Court claiming Victoria's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) failed to take into account key climate change laws when it renewed the operating licences of the Latrobe Valley's three coal-burning power stations earlier this year.
The EPA review, which took three years, did impose some limits on how much mercury and fine and coarse particulate matter the plants can release.
But it didn't require the power stations to install fabric filters on their chimneys to reduce emissions — a key demand of health advocates.
The court challenge is a judicial review testing the legality of the EPA's decision, and includes Alinta Energy which operates Loy Yang B plant, AGL and its Loy Yang A plant, and Energy Australia which owns and operates Yallourn Power Station.
Environment Victoria chief executive Jono La Nauze says the Latrobe Valley power stations are the state's biggest polluters and the EPA has failed to properly regulate their emissions.
"Privately owned power stations are Victoria's biggest source of pollution, causing both climate change and harming our health," Mr La Nauze said.
Climate change test case
This will be the first major test of Victoria's climate change legislation, which came into effect in 2017, and mandates net zero targets by 2050.
"The climate change act requires all government agencies to consider greenhouse emissions and the impact on our climate whenever they are making significant decisions like this," Mr La Nauze said.
He contends the environmental watchdog's actions also failed under the Environmental Protection Act, which was this year overhauled in what the Victorian government claims was the most significant reform in two generations.
The group will argue the EPA failed to limit toxic emissions of the energy companies in the state's east, such as sulphur dioxide and mercury.
"Letting these power stations continue to pollute without meaningful limits or even basic pollution control technologies is out of step with community expectations and, we believe, unlawful," Mr La Nauze said.
Environment Victoria said if they win the court case, they will ask the court to order the EPA to modify the power stations' operating licences to include lower limits on greenhouse gases and pollution.
An AGL spokeswoman acknowledged the company was Australia's largest energy generator and greenhouse gas emitter, but says it is working towards lower emissions.
"We understand and acknowledge our significant role in the energy transition and are committed to ensuring this is done responsibly, balancing Australia's current and future energy needs with the commitment to decarbonise," she said.
An Energy Australia spokesman said it is committed to the responsible operation of its Yallourn plant and is "proud of our strong record of environmental compliance and our commitment to continuous improvement."
In March, Energy Australia said it would close the Yallourn power plant in mid-2028, four years ahead of schedule.
Alinta and the EPA were contacted for comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment