Hopeland environmental management

Summary

Linc Energy Ltd operated an underground coal gasification (UCG) activity in the Hopeland area near Chinchilla.

UCG is a gasification (chemical reaction) process that converts solid coal into a gas (commonly known as ‘syngas’) via an underground combustion process. By-products from UCG are potentially harmful to human health and the environment and need to be managed carefully.

UCG (which is distinct from Coal Seam Gas (CSG)) was conducted in Queensland pursuant to a pilot technology trial undertaken on mineral development licences granted under the Minerals Resources Act 1989. The key objective of the pilot was to allow the approved projects the opportunity to demonstrate the technical, environmental and commercial viability of the technology.

In 2014, Linc Energy Ltd was charged with wilfully causing serious environmental harm. The company subsequently went into liquidation in 2016 and the site was abandoned.

Since this time the site has been managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development. View details of their monitoring and longer-term remediation plans.

To identify any risks to the environment and to landholders as a result of the activities, and to support the prosecution, the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation undertook a range of activities including farm health assessments, air quality monitoring, soil vapour monitoring and groundwater monitoring.  Results of groundwater monitoring undertaken at monitoring bores installed by the department can be found below for the period 2018 to Quarter 2 2024.

In 2018, Linc was found guilty by a jury and fined $4.5 million by the Brisbane District Court, the highest fine imposed by an Australian court for environmental offending.

The former Linc site was listed on the contaminated land register in 2019 due primarily to the contaminant concentrations in the groundwater.

The Government decided that UCG activities are no longer permitted in Queensland.

The Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development has now taken responsibility for continued groundwater monitoring. Monitoring results from Quarter 3 2024 going forward will be available on the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development webpage here.

Hopeland environmental investigations and landholder engagement

Commencing in 2015, the department engaged in a comprehensive program of testing both on and in the vicinity of Linc’s site.

An extensive community engagement program was also undertaken which included undertaking farm health assessment, collecting soil gas samples, installing groundwater monitoring bores, taking groundwater samples and undertaking gas testing.

Soil vapour testing

In 2015, gaseous contaminants including hydrogen were detected in the soil profile below two metres underground. An excavation caution zone was then put in place by the department to notify landholders about the potential risks involved in excavating at depth.

In 2017 and 2018, further soil vapour testing was conducted. It showed a decline in hazardous soil vapour levels regionally which significantly reduced any risk. The excavation caution zone was removed in 2018.

Air quality investigation

Air quality in the Hopeland region was monitored during 2015–16 and did not find any evidence of subsoil gases leading to unsafe levels of air pollutants in the community. Two reports on air testing in the area are available for download:

Groundwater monitoring

Groundwater monitoring has been undertaken by the department and the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development on the former Linc site and on the Kummerows Road reserve 650 metres west of the boundary of the former Linc site. Groundwater monitoring has also been undertaken on private landholder properties.

The department installed 15 groundwater monitoring bores to assess any groundwater impacts and risks over time. These bores are not used for irrigation, or human or stock consumption.

Sampling from these monitoring bores has generally been occurring quarterly since their installation.

Groundwater systems are complex and can be influenced by a range of factors. Groundwater flow within an aquifer in this area is dependent on changing groundwater level and gas pressures and the varying permeability or levels of connection in different parts of the aquifer. This is a long term groundwater monitoring program and therefore it is expected that results will change over time.

In July 2022, responsibility for the ongoing monitoring of these bores was transferred to the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development who will continue to monitor these bores. A summary of the monitoring activities is below.

Summary of monitoring results—bores installed on former Linc site and Kummerows Road

The former Linc site is contaminated and requires ongoing monitoring and remediation.

Groundwater sampling on the former Linc site and on the Kummerows Road reserve has shown the presence of UCG byproducts including benzene and total cyanide.

Monitoring will continue to ensure that there is an understanding of groundwater movement and that any risks are identified.

The full results for 2018 to Quarter 2 of 2024 are available on the Queensland Open Data portal:

Information about monitoring results from Quarter 3 2024 onwards will be available on the Department of Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development webpage here.

The results for key contaminants (benzene and total cyanide) for the groundwater monitoring bores installed by the department are also summarised in tables and graphs.

Summary of monitoring results—bores installed on private property

Sampling has been undertaken from a number of landholder water bores. The results of this groundwater sampling have been provided directly to those landowners.

The monitoring within landholder bores has found that UCG contaminants benzene or total cyanide have not impacted the water quality values in landholder bores.

As a result, the current risk to nearby landholders accessing groundwater from their existing groundwater bores has been assessed as low to negligible.

Further information

For further information about environmental monitoring in the Hopeland region please see the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development’s webpage at Hopeland (ex-Linc Energy) remediation project | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government.