Pollution of wetlands adjacent to Adani's main coal export port in Queensland is proof the Indian-owned company can't be trusted to operate a much larger operation should the Galilee Basin ever be opened up to mines, environmental groups said.
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The Queensland government on Wednesday released the results of its preliminary study of damage to the Caley Valley Wetlands from coal fines washed into the area when Cyclone Debbie hammered the coast in late March.
The miner is also contesting fines of about $12,000 issued by the government for unauthorised releases of water into the nearby ocean that were eight times the temporarily elevated pollution limits of 100 milligrams of suspended solids per litre.
The state's Department of Environment Heritage Protection found the Abbot Point Bulk Coal port had not exceeded the 100mg limit in the wetlands themselves, and there appeared to have been "no widespread impacts".
The report, though, conceded "information gaps" existed, such as the lack of baseline data to assess contamination or use by waterbirds - some species of which are on the "threatened" list - of the wetlands.
"Access to this large wetland system was limited and as a result sampling was confined to the edge of the wetland," the study said.
The Australian Conservation Foundation, which split the costs of an independent pollution study with the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said their probe found higher levels of contamination in the wetlands.
Kelly O'Shanassy, ACF's chief executive, said it was now known that Adani had not only released polluted coal water into wetlands but it had "massively" breached the higher ocean pollution licence.
"It appears Adani can't safely operate a coal port on a cyclone-prone coast," Ms O'Shanassy said. "But the risk to the Great Barrier Reef and protected wetlands will be that much higher if Adani's massive Carmichael coal mine [in the Galilee Basin] is constructed, which will double the amount of coal at Abbot Point."
A spokesman for Adani welcomed the pollution report, saying evidence pointed to no environmental harm from the spill.
"We also note the recommendation to increase monitoring which we accept and, in fact, have already started to put into place," the spokesman said.
The company, meanwhile, is challenging the fine "on principle", a move that surprised some in the government since it may trigger more gathering of data and possibly a larger penalty.
"Our scientific evidence shows there was a flow of sediment to a filtering system originally put into place by the [North Queensland bulk ports] but there was no seepage past that system or harm to the marine environment," he said. "We are happy to have that evidence tested in a court."
