Gas rig
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Western Australia's Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has turned down energy company Woodside Energy's multi-billion dollar gas export project proposal, with the agency deeming it "unacceptable," as it may threaten marine life at Scott Reef.

The EPA's assessment was made public by a freedom of information request raised by WAToday, which revealed that if the Browse liquefied natural gas (LNG) proposal came to life, it will endanger a coral reef ecosystem home to over 1,500 species and migrating whale species.

The experts are worried that an extraction at the Browse basin could also lead to the sinking of an entire beach inhabited by endangered turtles and increase the possibility of a major oil spill in the region, The Guardian said, citing the WAToday report.

The EPA said in its report that Woodside's agendas do not align with the objectives of the agency, which has allowed just two out of every 100 oil and gas applications since the mid-1980s. According to a report by The AIM Network, the EPA wants its operations to remain outside the radar of corporate political influence and independent.

"The WA EPA has recognized the unacceptable threat posed by Browse to the magnificent Scott Reef and the marine life off the Kimberley coast. It is now incumbent on the WA and Federal Governments to respect this independent scientific advice and expert opinion, and refuse Woodside's application to develop Browse," said Jess Beckerling, the executive director of the Conservation Council of WA.

The biggest unexplored conventional gas resource in Australia, Browse, entails digging wells close to the reef and piping gas 900 kilometers to the North West Shelf LNG facility located in Karratha. Woodside anticipates that this project will produce 11.4 million LNG tons per year.

Given the anticipated gas growth and Woodside's "Burrup Hub vision," Australia's contribution to global warming might rise noticeably. This concept includes enlarging the Pluto LNG facility, expanding the Scarborough gas field, and adding fifty years to the life of the North West Shelf plant.

The EPA's assessment is, however, not final. Therefore, Woodside will have an opportunity to provide further material before a recommendation is made to the state's environment minister, Reece Whitby, who need not heed the EPA's advice, according to the report by The Guardian. Premier Roger Cook acknowledged the project's complexity and the ongoing talks to resolve environmental issues, but he voiced support for it.