Dangerous plumes of methane have escaped from an open lower coal mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, in line with satellite tv for pc pictures.
Knowledge launched by the Australian Conservation Basis on Tuesday confirmed Glencore’s Hail Creek open lower coal mine launched extra methane air pollution in 16 days than the corporate reported over a complete 12 months.
However the largest single occasion was situated three kilometres from the Wambo coal mining complicated within the Newcastle coal area, with a methane emissions fee equal to eight million cows, the annual methane plume report mentioned.
A complete of 61 methane plumes – billowing clouds of the potent fuel – had been noticed throughout the nation in 2023, together with 4 plumes over Hail Creek that steered an “prolonged super-emitting occasion” in June.
Not less than 8640 tonnes of methane would have been emitted by the Glencore mine on this interval – greater than the coal mine’s formally reported greenhouse fuel emissions for the total 12 months, in line with the information.
ACF mentioned Glencore would obtain as much as 150,000 “undeserved” safeguard mechanism credit price tens of millions of {dollars} for Hail Creek beneath the primary 12 months of the federal authorities’s “defective” emissions reporting regime.
“And these are simply the emissions we learn about as a result of the satellite tv for pc occurred to catch them,” ACF campaigner Piper Rollins mentioned.
“Methane is a poisonous climate-heating fuel that is turbocharging heatwaves, bushfires and coral bleaching occasions,” she mentioned.
Unbiased federal MP Zali Steggall is pushing for extra correct measurement and reporting of methane, and a greater understanding of its important influence on international warming.
“This proof places Glencore on discover to both step up and precisely measure and report their emissions or danger deceptive and deceiving buyers,” Ms Steggall mentioned.
“Glencore claims its targets and operations align with the Paris Settlement, however this proof suggests they’re approach off.”
An area monitoring instrument often called Tropomi onboard an Earth commentary satellite tv for pc mechanically detects giant methane emission plumes and releases the information for public overview by organisations together with the ACF.
Based on scientists, slashing methane emissions by virtually half by 2030 would assist the Paris Settlement’s aim of limiting international warming to 1.5C.
Australia’s Local weather Change Authority in December warned the federal authorities in regards to the under-reporting of methane emissions from coal and fuel tasks.
AAP will contact Glencore for remark.
