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First frack plan for Kimberley hits Plibersek’s desk, threatens water, bilbies

The first fracking proposal for Western Australia since the state lifted its moratorium has been referred to the Federal Government, prompting outrage from community groups who fear the project will be a Trojan Horse for the full blown industrialization of the Kimberley.

American company Black Mountain Energy submitted its “Valhalla” project for assessment under federal environment laws, with the EPBC referral going live yesterday.

If approved by the Albanese Government, Black Mountain would be permitted to construct six new fracking wells* near Broome in WA’s Kimberley region.

The application shows Black Mountain Energy does not intend to undertake a full environmental impact assessment under the EPBC Act despite admitting impacts on threatened wildlife like the Greater Bilby and on water.

The company’s referral identifies the Greater Bilby as a Species of National Environmental Significance that the project could impact, with fauna surveys identifying fresh bilby “diggings” in the development area. 

The referral also acknowledges it will take a minimum of 100 million litres of groundwater per annum for each well and in other documents has stated it would frack each well up to 70 times each

Black Mountain has already courted controversy since it first revealed plans for the Valhalla fracking project in 2020. Last year, the company was fined $39,960 for three counts of greenwashing - the company had claimed gas from Valhalla would be “net-zero emissions” with no evidence.

In 2021, in his capacity as WA State Development Minister, Roger Cook repealed the ban on exporting onshore gas for the Kimberley region, meaning Black Mountain would be able to export the gas. 

Lock the Gate Alliance WA Coordinator Claire McKinnon said, “This is what we feared - the first real attempt by a multinational fracking company to begin industrialising and contaminating the much-loved Kimberley since the lifting of the moratorium.

“Tanya Plibersek has made a promise of no new extinctions. She must protect threatened animals like the bilby, which have been recorded on site, and require a full environmental impact assessment of this fracking project.

“Fracking requires massive volumes of groundwater, combined with millions of litres of toxic chemicals and sand and pumped deep underground at high pressure, and poses a serious risk of water drainage and pollution.  

“Minister Plibersek needs to apply the updated water trigger in national environment laws to this project. Failure to do so makes a mockery of these laws.

“Black Mountain wants to build a high pressure gas pipeline more than 1000 km long to target “11.8 million cubic feet” of gas. Black Mountain will not stop at a handful of wells if the government approves this application but will keep expanding across the Kimberley.

“Fracking is a dirty and dangerous way to extract fossil gas. Gas is fueling the climate crisis and the International Energy Agency has made it clear the world can’t afford new gas projects if we want to protect communities from extreme weather driven by climate change.

“Black Mountain’s direct impact on water and the local environment and broader contribution to climate change should be sufficient for Minister Plibersek to require full environmental impact assessment.”

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