A draft Guideline for the Development of Petroleum, Geothermal and Pipeline Environment Plans in Western Australia is now available online for feedback
| Date: | Tuesday, 13 July 2021 |
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The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) is seeking comment from stakeholders on the revised draft Guideline for the Development of Petroleum, Geothermal and Pipeline Environment Plans in Western Australia.
The document, which will be available on the department’s website for public consultation for 12 weeks, amalgamates the following existing guidance material:
- Guidance Note - Environmental Performance Objectives, Environmental Performance Standards and Measurement Criteria for Petroleum Environment Plans.
- Proposed Stakeholder Engagement and Consultation Guide - Public Consultation Paper.
- Guidance Note - Decommissioning, Rehabilitation and Closure of Petroleum Activities.
The revised draft guideline will assist operators to develop an Environment Plan (EP) in accordance with the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources (Environment) Regulations 2012, the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) (Environment) Regulations 2012, and the Petroleum Pipelines (Environment) Regulations 2012.
It will provide transparency on DMIRS’ environmental management expectations for the petroleum, geothermal and pipeline industry and provide guidance on the level of detail required to be included in an EP.
DMIRS Resource and Environmental Compliance Division’s Executive Director Karen Caple said: “One of the department’s key focus areas is working with operators towards better planning and preparation for site decommissioning, rehabilitation and closure, and identifying appropriate post-activity land use(s), closure objectives and rehabilitation criteria.”
“This guideline, we hope, will go a long way towards providing the clarity on those areas.”
The department is seeking feedback on the guidelines, particularly on the rehabilitation and closure content (Section 3.1.4.2), by Tuesday 5 October 2021.
Email any comments or feedback to petroleum.environment@dmirs.wa.gov.au
