 Miner BHP Billiton is under fire for allegedly releasing toxic chemicals into the upper reaches of the George's River from its West Cliff coal mine near Appin, south of Sydney..
BHP Billion subsidiary Endeavour is accused of releasing zinc, copper, nickel, arsenic and aluminium at unacceptably high levels into Brennan's Creek, which flows into the the George's River.
The claims are part of a Land and Environment Court case brought by the Macarthur Bushwalking Club and National Parks Association.
Ken Hall from the Macarthur Bushwalkers Clubs says people living near the mine need to be told if it is going to impact on their health.
"We have people pumping the water out onto their vegge patches, swimming, fishing and using the river for leisure purposes and we didn't know what we were actually getting into so we decided basically that we would have to find out," he said.
The chair of the NSW Environmental Protection Authority Barry Buffier has rejected the view his organisation has been slow to act.
"We're certainly taking steps to identify the extent of the problem and to stop any significant pollution occurring in that waterway," he said.
Mr Buffier says the regulator has introduced a number of legally-binding pollution reduction programs.
BHP Billiton says independent research shows its West Cliff coal mine is having minimal impact on the ecology of Brennan's Creek.
Caroline Graham from Rivers SOS says her group has long argued there should be a buffer zone of up to one kilometre between any mine and large river systems.
"I think probably the mine water from Brennan's Creek could be treated much more adequately," she said.
"Maybe a desal plant, such at the one BHP put in up at their Tower Plant at Douglas Park which saves the Nepean River."
abc.net.au
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