The current proposed solution to rehabilitate Latrobe Valley open-cut coal mines is to fill them with water. But newly released government studies and documents obtained under freedom of information laws reveal major concerns about water availability, ecological impacts and groundwater pollution.
This briefing paper draws on technical reports underpinning the Latrobe Valley Regional Rehabilitation Strategy and “clean up notices” from the Victorian EPA.
These documents shine more light on how problematic it would be to allow mine operators to draw water from the Latrobe River system to fill or even partly fill coal mines.