Question On Notice No. 195 asked in the Legislative Council on 23 June 2021 by Hon Brad Pettitt
Question Directed to the: Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Question
I
refer to the emissions of acid gases from the Pluto liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, and I ask:
(a) can
the Minister please advise the annual amount of emissions from the current
Pluto LNG facility for each of the following acid gases:
(i) NOx (nitrogen oxides);
(ii) CO2; and
(iii) volatile organic compounds;
(b) can
the Minister please advise the anticipated annual amount of emissions from the
proposed Pluto LNG expansion of each of the following acid gases:
(i) NOx (nitrogen oxides);
(ii) CO2; and
(iii) volatile organic compounds; and
(c) can
the Minister please table any advice or analysis that the Minister has received
regarding the contribution of current and future acid gas emissions from the
Pluto LNG facility on the effect these emissions are having, or will be likely
to have, on the Murujuga rock art?
Answered on 18 August 2021
In answering these questions (a) and (b) the Minister for Environment advises that there is no one source document providing the requested data.
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has provided sources below where this information may be accessed.
(a) The Pluto LNG facility (train 1) NOx, CO2 and volatile organic compounds emissions are reported publicly in:
(i) The National Pollutant Inventory, available on the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s website, which identifies annually reported kilograms of NOx emitted.
(ii) Section 2 of the Pluto LNG Facility Greenhouse Gas Abatement Program, which identifies annual greenhouse gas emissions from train 1.
(iii) The National Pollutant Inventory, which identifies annually reported kilograms of volatile organic compounds emitted.
The National Pollutant Inventory may be accessed to identify a range of emissions historically from 2010-11 through to the last reported year of 2018-19.
(b) The anticipated Pluto LNG facility expansion emissions from train 1 and 2 for NOx, CO2 and volatile organic compounds are publicly available in:
(i) Appendix A of the Pluto LNG Air Quality Management Plan, available on the Woodside Energy Ltd’s website, reports NOx emission rates
(ii) Section 2 of the Pluto LNG Greenhouse Gas Abatement Program, which is available on Woodside Energy Ltd’s website, identifies greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 reducing to net zero greenhouse gas emissions at 2050
(iii) Appendix A of the Pluto LNG Air Quality Management Plan, which reports VOC emission rates.
These documents may be accessed to determine a range of emissions under a range of assumptions.
(c) The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, in partnership with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, is implementing the Murujuga Rock Art Strategy. This Strategy includes the Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program, a world-leading scientifically rigorous approach to monitoring, analysis and management of the rock art. The outcomes of this Strategy and Monitoring Program will inform any future reviews of emission regulation.