Linc Energy contamination: Qld landholders kept in dark over ‘dangerous levels’ of cyanide and benzene in groundwater

A “please explain” has been issued after shocking revelations that reports of cyanide and highly carcinogenic benzene found in groundwater in prime farmland on the Darling Downs were kept secret from landholders.

Cyanide and highly carcinogenic benzene found in groundwater in prime farmland on the Darling Downs “didn’t reach the threshold” to be made public, Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon says.

She says test results on the toxic chemicals detected near the former Linc Energy underground coal gasification project at Hopeland indicated that the likelihood of environmental harm was “very low to negligible”.

But Ms Scanlon has ordered a “please explain” from her department after revelations the results were kept secret from landholders.

The Australian reported on Saturday that “dangerous levels” of cyanide and benzene were detected in April last year in state-owned ground monitoring bores up to 700m outside the boundary of the ex-Linc Energy project, which was shut down after becoming one of Australia’s worst environmental contamination disaster sites.

The Linc Energy underground coal gasification pilot plant at Chinchilla

But surrounding landholders were not informed of the results and they were not put on the Environmental Management Register.

Speaking on Saturday, Ms Scanlon said the independent environmental regulator was responsible and she had requested “an urgent briefing” as to why landholders were kept in the dark.

The minister said the Department of Environment and Science advised her office in May last year that groundwater results would be released to landholders.

Asked why the results were not uploaded to the environmental management register, she said: “My understanding is it didn’t reach the threshold for it to be uploaded.”

She said extensive testing had found that while water quality on private land had not been impacted, contaminants were detected in bores on a road reserve about 650m from the former Linc Energy site.

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon. Photo: Tertius Pickard

“Results to date indicate that the likelihood of any environmental harm arising from contaminants identified is considered very low to negligible,” Ms Scanlon said.

“Whilst contaminants appear to be trending down, longer-term monitoring is required to monitor the groundwater quality trends.”

Ms Scanlon said while landholders had been provided with results from monitoring bores on their properties, they also deserved to know about tests on surrounding sites.

“I’ve asked my department to look at how we can make sure that this information is provided in the future,” she said.

Ms Scanlon said the investigation and prosecution of Linc Energy was the largest and most complex ever undertaken in Queensland, and the company was found guilty in 2018 of wilfully causing serious environmental harm and fined a record $4.5 million.