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Claim Ocean Monarch oil rig owners gave ‘misleading’ advice on biosecurity risks

Claims have been made that the owner of the oil rig moored in the Derwent gave misleading advice to the EPA about previous biosecurity checks.

The Ocean Monarch oil rig arrives in the River Derwent last month. Picture: RICHARD JUPE
The Ocean Monarch oil rig arrives in the River Derwent last month. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

THE owner of an oil rig moored in the River Derwent since late November gave apparently misleading advice to the state’s Environmental Protection Authority about previous biosecurity checks, according to information provided to the Greens.

EPA director Wes Ford on Tuesday told Greens environment spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff his agency had decided a visual inspection of the Ocean Monarch was initially not needed.

He said this was based on advice from Biosecurity Tasmania and information provided by owners Diamond Offshore Drilling related to a Federal Government risk assessment.

However, he said: “Following the arrival of the rig in the Derwent River further information was provided by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources to Biosecurity Tasmania via a number of phone conversations between officers.

“Based on the information I received [on November 27], that the Australian Government biosecurity risk assessment was not as extensive as the material submitted by the company conveyed, I concluded that an inspection of the hull was warranted.”

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Mr Ford said he contacted Biofouling Solutions to inspect the Ocean Monarch’s hull on November 28 then spoke to Diamond Offshore managers “on a daily basis” to get approval for the Tasmanian-based marine biofouling company to access and inspect the rig.

The Ocean Monarch oil drilling rig moored in the River Derwent. Picture: FIONA HARDING
The Ocean Monarch oil drilling rig moored in the River Derwent. Picture: FIONA HARDING

On December 13, Mr Ford was told Diamond Offshore “would not be in a position to provide approval for the inspection to occur on my planned dates of 18/19 December”.

He stood down his contractors and on December 14 directed the company to conduct their own inspection with the services of an “appropriate expert”. They agreed on December 19.

“In the meantime I needed to determine what powers I had to undertake an inspection without

approval, including liabilities for contractors,” Mr Ford said.

“Following the company’s advice that they had engaged Biofouling Solutions to do the inspection I did not proceed with an unauthorised inspection.”

Mr Ford said he was satisfied with the Biofouling Solutions report submitted by Diamond Offshore last week. That report found the oil rig was “unlikely” to pose a risk to the Derwent.

Dr Woodruff labelled the Ocean Monarch saga “bungled from the start”.

“Diamond Offshore appear to have deliberately misled the EPA, and many Tasmanians concerned about our marine environment will want to know what hefty penalty will be levied,” she said.

“There is something very wrong with Tasmania’s environmental protection regulations. This took the aquaculture industry to exert pressure before the EPA attempted to crosscheck the information provided by the Diamond Offshore company.”

Diamond Offshore was contacted for comment.

Environment Minister Elise Archer said: “The Greens’ continual attack on the independent EPA is appalling. The EPA has said the risk is low but, as usual, the Greens won’t accept expert advice and will not be happy until they have completely closed Tasmania down.”

Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/claim-ocean-monarch-oil-rig-owners-gave-misleading-advice-on-biosecurity-risks/news-story/43a836205e260c58b5e1c88df49b94bd