List of environmental accidents in the fossil fuel industry in Australia explained

This is a list of industrial accidents and incidents that have resulted in environmental damage and/or has resulted in death or major injury that have occurred within the fossil fuel industry in Australia, in either the extraction, mining, processing or transporting phases.

• Oil tanker Oceanic Grandeur oil spill – 1970^[1]
• Box Flat Mine explosion resulting in the death of 17 miners – 1972
• Bulk coal tanker Sygna oil spill – 1974^[2]
• Oil tanker Princess Anne Marie oil spill – 1975^[3]
• Kianga coal mine explosion – 1975^[4]
• Oil tanker World Encouragement oil spill – 1979^[5]
• Appin coal mine explosion resulting in the death of 14 miners – 1979
• Oil tanker Esso Gippsland oil spill – 1982^[6]
• Moura coal mine roof fall and explosion – 1986^[7]
• Collinsville Coal Roof collapse in mine shaft – 1988^[8]
• Crude oil tanker Arthur Phillip oil spill – 1990^[9]
• Oakleigh Number Three Colliery roof collapse resulting in death of a miner – 1990^[10]
• Newlands coal mine gas explosion resulting in death of miner – 1990^[11]
• Goonyella-Riverside coal mine outrush of coal and water – 1991^[12]
• South Bulli coal mine incident resulting in the death of 3 miners – 1991^[13]
• Western Main coal mine Pillar Collapse resulting in the death of 3 miners – 1991^[14]
• Moura Open Cut coal mine incident resulting in death of 2 miners and serious injury to 2 others – 1993^[15]
• Oil tanker Kirki oil spill – 1991^[16]
• Moura coal mine explosion – 1994^[17]
• Xstrata's Oaky Creek coal mine, miner lost his life when vehicle was driven over the edge of the excavation due to the substandard condition of the workplace – 1996^[18]
• Laleham No1 coal mine, miner pinned between machinery resulting in death of miner – 1996^[19]
• Gretley coal mine disaster resulting in the death of 4 miners – 1996^{[20] [21]}
• Newhill coal mine, rib collapse causing death to miner – 1997^[22]
• BHP's Blackwater Open Cut coal mine, vehicle incident resulting in death of miner – 1997^[23]
• Esso Longford gas plant explosion – 1998
• Mobil Port Stanvac Refinery oil spill – 1999^[24]
• Varanus Island Terminal oil spill – 1999^[25]
• Oil tanker Laura D'Amato oil spill – 1999^[26]
• Oil carrier Sylvan Arrow oil spill – 1999^[27]
• Cook coal mine coal dislodged resulting in death of miner – 2000^[28]
• Jellinabah Open Cut Coal incident causing severe crush injuries to miner – 2000^[29]
• Oaky coal mine roof fall causing death to miner – 2000^[30]
• Goonyella Riverside coal mine experienced a major structural failure resulting in serious injury to a miner – 2000^[31]
• Bulk carrier Global Peace oil spill at RG Tanner Coal loading facility in Gladstone in Queensland – 2006^[32]
• Yallourn Power Station Coal mine wall collapse (mine flooded by the Latrobe River) – 2007^[33]
• Venus Island gas pipeline explosion – 2008
• Santos Limited Port Bonython groundwater contamination (Crude oil leak from storage tanks enter the groundwater) – 2008–2012^{[34] [35] [36]}
• Montara Well Head Platform blowout and subsequent oil and gas spill – 2009^[37]
• Eastern Star Gas (taken over by Santos Ltd) Coal Stream Gas operation incident which resulted in 10,000 litres of toxic water waste entering the environment in the Pilliga State Forest – 2011^{[38] [39]}
• Princess Highway closed after heavy resulted in land movement at the Hazelwood mine causing cracks in the road – 2011^{[40] [41]}
• Springvale and Angus Place coal mines – Undertook unapproved coal mining and/or discharging mine groundwater into an environmentally sensitive area – 2011^[42]
• Collapse of the Morwell River Diversion at the Yallourn Coal Mine – 2012^[43]
• Santos Limited Jackson oil spill – 2013^[44]

See also

• Mining accidents in Australia

External links

• Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government, Mining wardens inquiries
• Australian Maritime Safety Authority Major historical incidents
• The Australian Emergency Management Knowledge Hub - Industrial
• Case judgements from the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act - Department of the Environment

Notes and References

1. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Oceanic_Grandeur/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, Oceanic Grandeur, Torres Strait, 3 March 1970
2. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Sygna/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, Sygna, Newcastle, 26 May 1974
3. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Princess_Anne_Marie/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, Princess Anne Marie, offshore Western Australia, 14 July 1975
4. https://archive.today/20140320085240/http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/kianga-1.htm Moura inquiries Kianga No 1, Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government, 13/12/2010.
5. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/World_Encouragement/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, World Encouragement, Botany Bay, September 1979
6. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Esso_Gippsland/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, Esso Gippsland oil pollution incident, Port Stanvac, 22 January 1982
7. https://archive.today/20140320085243/http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/moura-4.htm Moura inquiries Moura No 4, Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government, 19/9/2009.
8. https://archive.today/20140320085240/http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/david-firth.htm Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government, Mining wardens inquiries David Joseph FIRTH, 21/10/2007.
9. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Arthur_Phillip/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, Arthur Phillip, Cape Otway, Victoria, 21 May 1990
10. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/rodney-maddox.htm Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government,Mining wardens inquiries Rodney Elwyn MADDOX 1990, 21/10/2007.
11. https://archive.today/20140320085252/http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/dean-white.htm Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government,Mining wardens inquiries Dean Michael WHITE 21/10/2007.
12. https://archive.today/20140320085253/http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/gordon-wood.htm Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government,Mining wardens inquiries Dean Michael WHITE 21/10/2007.
13. http://www.illawarracoal.com/southbullidisaster.htm South Bulli Gas Outburst - 1991
14. http://www.resources.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/368902/MDG-1020-Review-David-Nichols.pdf "MDG 1020 Review Guidelines for Underground Emergency Escape Systems and Provision of Self Rescuers" for the NSW Trade & Investment - Resources and Energy Division by David Nichols.
15. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/bolton-kerr-bissell-swift.htm Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government,Mining wardens inquiries BOLTON, KERR, BISSELL and SWIFT 21/10/2007.
16. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Kirki/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, Kirki, Western Australia, 21 July 1991
17. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/moura-2.htm Moura inquiries Moura No 2, Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government, 13/12/2010.
18. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/alan-morgan.htm Mining wardens inquiries Alan MORGAN, Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government 21/9/2007.
19. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/gary-wilson.htm Mining wardens inquiries Gary John WILSON, Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government 21/9/2007.
20. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-08-12/charges-laid-over-gretley-coal-mine-disaster/1463042 "Charges laid over Gretley coal mine disaster" ABC news 12/8/2003
21. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/09/1092022390689.html?from=storylhs "Mine found guilty over Gretley disaster" The Sydney Morning Herald 9/8/2004.
22. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/trevor-domrow.htm Mining wardens inquiries Trevor George DOMROW, Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government 21/12/2007.
23. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/dale-gadsby.htm Mining wardens inquiries Dale GADSBY, Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government 21/12/2007.
24. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Mobil_Refinery/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority,Major Oil Spills in Australia, Port Stanvac, 28 June 1999
25. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Torungen/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, MV Torungen – Varanus Island Terminal – Varanus Island, WA, 26 July 1999 - 25 tonnes.
26. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Laura_DAmato/index.asp >Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, Laura D'Amato, Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, 3 August 1999
27. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Sylvan_Arrow/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, Sylvan Arrow - near Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria, 18 December 1999
28. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/john-anthony-maher.htm Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government, Mining wardens inquiries John Anthony MAHER,20/10/2007.
29. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/christopher-lee.htm Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government, Mining wardens inquiries John Anthony MAHER,Mining wardens inquiries Christopher John LEE 20/10/2007.
30. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/michael-morris.htm Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government, Mining wardens inquiries Michael James MORRIS 20/10/2007.
31. http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/laurence-thomas.htm Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland government, Mining wardens inquiries Laurence THOMAS 20/10/2007.
32. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Global_Peace/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, Global Peace – Gladstone, Queensland, 24 January 2006.
33. http://www.energyandresources.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/19819/Mining-Warden-Report.pdf Mining Warden Yallourn Mine Batter Failure Inquiry, Victorian Government 2008
34. http://menardbachy.com.au/docs/projects/Port_Bonython.pdf Port Bonython - Menard Bachy Menard Bachy (2010-08-24). Accessed 19/3/2014
35. http://www.epa.sa.gov.au/xstd_files/Corporate/Medianews/media228.pdf Further contamination at Santos' Port Bonython facility Environment Protection Authority (2010)
36. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-09/santos-says-oil-leak-clean-up-working/4000918 "Santos says oil-leak clean-up working" ABC News 9/5/2012
37. https://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/major-historical-incidents/Montara_Wellhead/index.asp Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spills in Australia, Montara Well Head Platform.
38. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-10/santos-fine/5194320 "Santos fined $52,500 for NSW pollution breach" ABC Rural news 15/1/2014.
39. http://www.thecourier.net.au/news-feed/item/1834-santos-fined-over-eastern-star-gas-toxic-water-spill "Santos fined over Eastern Star Gas toxic water spill" The Courier 14/1/2014.
40. http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/fears-of-collapse-to-shut-princes-highway-for-three-months-20110211-1ap1r.html "Fears of collapse to shut Princes Highway for three months" The Age 11/2/2011.
41. http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/1593-princes-freeway-at-morwell-to-reopen-soon.html "Princes Freeway at Morwell to reopen soon" Media release Premier of Victoria 1/8/2011.
42. http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/news/a7fcc8b7-8efc-4be5-a687-7b62e80398a8/files/enforceable-undertaking-centennial.pdf Enforceable undertaking between Springvale Coal and Centennial Angus Place and the Commonwealth Environment Minister 21/10/2011.
43. http://www.energyandresources.vic.gov.au/earth-resources/policy-and-legislation/regulatory-reviews/yallourn-coal-mine-inquiries Yallourn Coal Mine Inquiries, Department of State Development, Business and Innovation, Victoria 10/2/2012.
44. http://www.news.com.au/national/santos-confirms-uncontrolled-leak-at-oil-and-gas-well-in-states-remote-south-west/story-e6frfkp9-1226647007491 "Santos confirms uncontrolled leak at oil and gas well in Queensland's remote southwest" News.com.au 20/5/2013.