EPA Announces Watching Briefs into Edith River Incidents

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) today announced it has established two active watching briefs into incidents in the Edith River in December last year - a train derailment resulting in a copper concentrate spill and the uncontrolled release of waste water from the Mount Todd mine site. 

The EPA is obliged under the Environment Protection Authority Act (the Act) to review and assess the effectiveness of agency responses to environmental incidents, and not duplicate their work.

The regulating agencies conducting inquiries and investigations into the Edith River incidents include the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport, NT WorkSafe and the Department of Resources.

The EPA’s role to independently assess the progress made has been facilitated through regular updates from the agencies looking into each incident.

Also under the Act, the EPA is obliged to identify systemic issues.

EPA Chair, Professor Grahame Webb said, ‘Although the proximity and timing of the two incidents were close, there are different concerns which have triggered separate questions about potential systemic environmental issues.

‘The EPA Board felt this merited a watching brief on each.

‘In reviewing the information provided to date, the EPA Board has identified some unresolved questions in relation to both matters and these form the basis of our watching briefs’ objectives,’ Professor Webb said.

The watching briefs will continually inform the response from the EPA Board to the incidents, and enable regular reviews to determine whether there is a need or value that can be added by a formal inquiry.

The objectives for the watching briefs are available on the EPA Website.

Media contact: Emmanuelle Clarke 0407 974 844, emmanuelle.clarke@nt.gov.au