Mining company Maules Creek Coal, a subsidiary of Whitehaven Coal, has been convicted and ordered to pay more than $158,000 by the Land and Environment Court.
The court order follows three separate events where sediment-laden water escaped from the mine site during heavy rain and spilled into Back Creek.
On two of these occasions, the water that escaped from the mine site also contained polystyrene beads used in mining explosives, despite the EPA previously alerting the company to potential issues with its explosives storage.
The penalties follow a successful prosecution by the NSW Environment Protection Authority for three water pollution offences.
The final penalty imposed by the Court totalled $158,750.
Maules Creek Coal was also ordered to pay the EPA’s investigation and legal costs.
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