By Celine Lai
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on November 11 the following:
“Chevron has failed to bury 9.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in its first five years of operation.
In 2006, the WA government allowed Chevron to build the $US55 billion ($75 billion) LNG plant on Barrow Island, a Class A nature reserve, on the condition that carbon dioxide in the gas produced offshore would be buried under the island.
The condition was put in place by then-environment minister and now WA Premier Mark McGowan.
There was no requirement to capture and store carbon dioxide from the gas burnt to run the plant that produces about 60 per cent of the plant’s emissions.
Chevron had to “implement all practicable means” to inject all the reservoir carbon dioxide and, as a minimum, inject at least 80 per cent on a five-year rolling average.
Chevron plans to meet its obligation by purchasing Australian Carbon Credit Units and offsets from two international programs: the Gold Standard and the Verified Carbon Standard.
The company “will use reasonable endeavours” to purchase the offsets by July 2022.
Conservation Council of WA policy director Piers Verstegen said offsetting emissions was not the same as capturing pollution before it was released.
“Since offsets are not secure and do not prevent pollution in the first place, Chevron should be required to offset much more pollution than it was required to inject underground,” Mr Verstegen said.
“Chevron has been taking the regulator, and WA community for a ride on this for years, and frankly it has turned into an international embarrassment.”
WA Environment Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said Chevron missing the injection target was a significant breach of environmental conditions.
“However, I am satisfied Chevron is taking this issue seriously,” Ms Sanderson said.”
The above information is taken from the Sydney Morning Herald article here.
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