Mount Isa company fined for breaching Environmental Authority
Issued: 21 Mar 2020
A Mount Isa company has been fined $45,000 after pleading guilty to two charges of contravening a condition of an environmental authority (EA), in contravention of section 430(3) of the Environmental Protection Act 1994.
The company holds an EA authorising mining, chemical manufacturing, extracting and screening in the Mount Isa region.
The Department of Environment and Science (DES) commenced prosecution proceedings against the company after it released an estimated 50 kilolitres of sulphuric acid into the environment in April 2018.
On 21 May 2020, the company pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Mount Isa Magistrates Court.
The company was ordered to pay $2,164 in investigative costs and $1,500 in legal fees. No conviction was recorded.
Today’s court outcome shows that DES is committed to protecting the environment and enforcing Queensland’s environmental laws.
Releasing industrial chemicals like sulphuric acid can cause environmental harm. Companies must comply with the conditions of their EA to make sure their activities do not cause environmental harm.
As the environmental regulator, DES takes compliance seriously. The department sets clear standards for environmental performance and will take action when those standards are breached.