Black Mountain Energy is seeking federal approval to drill 20 gas wells for a project located near a creek that flows into the national heritage-listed Fitzroy River in Western Australia. The proposal has raised concerns over the company's plan to frack in the world's most intact tropical savanna.
Federal Concerns Over Insufficient Data
The federal environment department has repeatedly raised concerns about the American company's bid to frack for gas in the Kimberley region. Texas-based Black Mountain Energy, through its subsidiary Bennett Resources, is seeking approval for its Valhalla project west of Fitzroy Crossing.
The site is near a creek that flows into the Fitzroy River, potentially opening the Fitzroy valley landscape to fracking and affecting endangered species. While WA's Environmental Protection Authority has recommended approval under state laws, documents released through freedom of information show the federal department has repeatedly flagged issues with the company's environmental assessments.
Inadequate Assessment of Water Resources and Ecosystems
The department warned the company had not provided enough information about water resources and ecosystems that could be harmed by its gas drilling plans. Correspondence shows federal officials told Black Mountain Energy on multiple occasions last year that it had not done enough to identify surface water and groundwater resources and characterize ecosystems reliant on groundwater.
Officials wrote that this prevented them from fully assessing the impacts fracking could have on the environment and vulnerable species, including the critically endangered northern blue-tongued skink and the endangered largetooth sawfish, which has an important nursery area in the Fitzroy River.
Traditional Owner Consultation and Cultural Values
The company was also instructed to consult with additional traditional owner groups with cultural and spiritual connections to the Fitzroy River. The department wrote that despite Black Mountain's argument of no impact on the river, there was insufficient evidence, requiring the company to demonstrate assessment of all impact pathways associated with Rainbow Serpent Tradition Values.
Conservation group Environs Kimberley, which applied for the documents, wrote to federal environment minister Murray Watt last week to request termination of the project under national nature laws. Executive director Martin Pritchard said the company had clearly not done what the department requested, and without that work, the commonwealth could not decide on significant impacts.
Independent Expert Committee Raises Concerns
Environment officials said in a January document that they shared concerns raised by an independent expert scientific committee that Black Mountain had not provided enough data. The IESC found the company conducted a limited and disjointed assessment with largely unsupported conclusions regarding impacts on water resources and groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
The department agreed there was substantial uncertainty regarding hydrogeological and hydrological processes, limiting the ability to assess all potential impacts on water resources. Officials wrote that the lack of site-specific identification of groundwater-dependent ecosystems and investigation of surface water-groundwater connectivity did not allow accurate assessment of impact pathways for the northern blue-tongued skink and largetooth sawfish.
Guardian Australia asked the department and Black Mountain Energy whether the company has since provided the requested data. Pritchard said the potential for harm to species and the broader Martuwarra Fitzroy River and Kimberley region was concerning, calling it the last place that should be industrialized by the fracking industry.
A department spokesperson said the project was under active assessment and could not comment on specific details, but any project must pass rigorous assessment of potential impacts on protected matters prior to approval. The project is being assessed for impacts on water resources, threatened species, and national heritage values of West Kimberley. The developer must publish documentation for public comment and demonstrate how they have addressed feedback.
Comment was sought from Black Mountain Energy.
