Carmichael coal mine发表评论(0)编辑词条

The Carmichael coal mine is a proposed thermal coal mine in the north of the Galilee Basin in Central Queensland, Australia. Mining is planned to be conducted by both open-cut and underground methods. The mine is proposed by Adani Mining, a wholly owned subsidiary of India's Adani Group. The development represents a $16.5 billion investment.

At peak capacity the mine would produce 60 million tonnes of coal a year. In court Adani said it expects the mine to produce 2.3 billion tonnes over 60 years.It would be the largest coal mine in Australia and one of the largest in the world.The mine would be the first of a number of large mines proposed for the Galilee Basin and would facilitate their development.

Exports are to leave the country via port facilities at Hay Point and Abbot Point after being transported to the coast via rail. The proposal includes a new 189 km rail line to connect with the existing Goonyella railway line. Most of the exported coal is planned to be shipped to India.

The mine has drawn significant controversy about its claimed economic benefits, its financial viability, plans for government subsidy and the environmental impacts. Broadly these have been described as its potential impact upon the Great Barrier Reef, groundwater at its site and it carbon emissions. The emissions from burning the amount of coal expected to be produced from this one mine, whether sourced from it or elsewhere, would be "approximately 0.53-0.56% of the carbon budget that remains after 2015 to have a likely chance of not exceeding 2 degrees warming."

The mining lease mostly covers the Moray Downs cattle station. The majority of the mine lies within the Isaac Region, with a small portion in the Charters Towers Region local government area. Road access is made by the Gregory Developmental Road, an undeveloped section of the Gregory Highway.

In 2010 the Queensland Premier Anna Bligh announced the Coordinator-General declared the proposed Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project was being assessed as a 'Significant Project'.

Since then proposal has gone through many changes. The operational life was originally proposed for 150 years. This was later reduced to 90 years and is now proposed for 60 years.

On 8 May 2014, Queensland’s Coordinator-General gave approval for the project to proceed. 190 conditions were set by the state during both construction and operations phases of the mine with particular attention paid to groundwater and water bores which may be potentially affected.

On the 29 July 2014, federal Minister for Environment, Greg Hunt gave approval for the mine to proceed. Federal approval was granted after 36 conditions were stipulated.

Exporting coal from the Carmichael mines requires new terminals and seabed dredging at the Abbot Point coal port. In early September 2014, it was reported the plan to dump dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area had been scrapped. The plan to dump the spoil at sea was widely criticised on the grounds that the fragile coral and seagrass ecosystem could be damaged. Documents released under Freedom of Information showed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority scientists had opposed the dumping plan.The Palaszczuk Queensland Government is now the development proponent for a proposal to dump dredge spoil on land within the terminal site.

On 5 August 2015, the federal Department of Environment and Adani signed consent orders in the Federal Court to set aside approval of the Carmichael project. The Department did not correctly follow requirements under federal environment law to consider conservation advice regarding two endangered species affected by the proposal, the Yakka Skink and the Ornamental Snake. This led to considerable controversy (see: Vigilante Lawfare). The Department is presently reconsidering the proposal.By mid August, Adani had ceased commercial relationships with a number of engineering contractors and banks.