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Will The Australian Oil Spill Inquiry Investigate Environmental Impacts?
Late last year millions of litres of oil leaked from the Montara oilwell into the Timor Sea, off north-west Australia. WDCS, together withother conservation groups, raised the alarm at the probable impacts onwildlife and the environment. WDCS supporters from around the worldhelped us to pressure the Australian Government to conduct anindependent investigation.
Subsequently, the Governmentestablished a Independent Inquiry to investigate the leak and WDCS madea submission detailing the likely impacts on cetaceans.
Weintended to elaborate on our concerns at the formal hearings to beconducted by the Inquiry. Unfortunately, it seems they dont have muchinterest in the conservation impacts of the spill. In a recent webposting they indicate their main concern will focus on the causes ofthe spill and at this stage they intend to allow presentations only onthat issue.
While we agree it is vital to determine the causeof the spill it is equally important to determine the environmentaldamage which resulted. If the environmental impacts are not highlightedwe are very concerned there will be no revision of regulationssurrounding oil drilling in the ocean. For example, in the case ofcetaceans, no research was undertaken prior to drilling even to findout what cetaceans used the area and when they were there. We stronglybelieve that it is essential to declare no drilling cetacean sanctuaryareas in important cetacean habitats and the only way this can be doneis to research cetacean use patterns first.
WDCS is currently inCanberra, Australias capital, speaking with Government and raising ourconcerns that the Inquiry should encompass environmental impacts, andthat WDCS wishes to provide evidence.
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