ARTICLE · 23 MAY 2023

Environmental Law Enforcement In WA Is On The Uptick

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The Perth Magistrates Court recently found gold miner Bellevue Gold Limited (Bellevue) liable for two environmental offences relating to a hypersaline spill after enforcement action...

AustraliaEnvironment

Melanie Debenham

Naomi Hutchings

The Perth Magistrates Court recently found gold miner Bellevue Gold Limited (Bellevue) liable for two environmental offences relating to a hypersaline spill after enforcement action by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER). Bellevue was fined $41,000 in total for the offences.

This prosecution comes a number of months after the recommendations in the Auditor General's Report on Compliance with Mining Environmental Conditions which concluded that DWER and the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety have not been fully effective in ensuring mining projects comply with conditions to limit environmental harm and in monitoring operator compliance (see our previous blog post here).

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