PERTH, Wednesday 17 September 2025 – The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has accepted a joint referral by the Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) and Greenpeace Australia Pacific (GPAP) on Woodside’s high-risk Browse Basin carbon dumping project.
CCWA and GPAP argued that the controversial technology could have profound impacts on WA waters at Scott Reef, critical habitat for the endangered green sea turtle, dusky sea snake and pygmy blue whale and should be fully assessed by the WA EPA.
The WA EPA has now put the referral out to public comment for seven days, with the submission period closing on 24 September.
Also referred to as carbon capture and storage (CCS), the proposal includes drilling and completion of up to seven wells to the south of Scott Reef, with up to six to be injected with carbon dioxide (CO2) in an attempt to store emissions. The proposal includes up to 130km of a subsea CO2 injection flowline, supporting subsea infrastructure and periodic seismic blasting.
Both environment groups have stated that ongoing seismic blasting from the carbon dumping project, and risk of CO2 blowouts, would have immediate impacts on Scott Reef and the surrounding ecosystem.
Conservation Council of WA Executive Director Matt Roberts said Woodside referred its carbon dumping plans to the federal government[1] in October 2024, but bypassed the WA EPA.
“We are really pleased the EPA has accepted the third-party referral for Woodside’s carbon dumping plans at Browse; the cumulative impacts of this, alongside plans for 50 gas wells at Scott Reef, should be assessed together to be able to fully consider the impacts on the incredible natural values of Scott Reef,” Mr Roberts said.
“We have seen high levels of public concern in the past around seismic blasting and carbon dumping proposals. It is critical that the public is invited to comment on projects when they involve such controversial actions.
“Carbon dumping is high risk, high cost and has been a proven failure. The impacts of spills could be catastrophic for Scott Reef and the ongoing need for seismic survey creates unbelievable pressure on the species there.
“Seismic blasting is particularly dangerous for species sensitive to noise or low frequency sound, including the endangered dusky sea snake and pygmy blue whale. It’s critical that these impacts are properly assessed at Scott Reef, one of the last safe havens for these species.
“Given the approval last Friday by the Federal Environment Minister of Woodside’s North West Shelf export gas plant until 2070, the decision by the WA EPA that this issue was important enough to go for public comment is a significant step forward.
“Carbon dumping is a failed technology — we’ve seen this with Chevron’s Gorgon project where less than 3% of total emissions have been sequestered successfully. There are no examples of carbon pollution dumping that have met targets or been delivered on time or on budget.
“Failed technologies should not be used to enable the development of new dirty polluting gas projects like Browse. We need much stronger commitments to abate carbon pollution, not false promises of storing these emissions through carbon dumping.”
Geoff Bice, WA Campaign Lead at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “Carbon dumping is an expensive and dangerous distraction corporations use to greenwash their emissions, and a diversion from real action to slash climate pollution.
“Woodside has tried for years to push through carbon dumping for its highly polluting Browse gas proposal, but the federal environment department highlighted the risks of the new technology to our oceans and marine life, as well as the risk of the injection site failing.
“Woodside’s carbon dumping plans pose a serious risk to the pristine and fragile Scott Reef and its marine life. It is unacceptable for Woodside to bypass state assessment of its carbon dumping plans given the threat to the WA environment — its plans must be properly assessed by the WA EPA.
“Ultimately, if we are serious about tackling the climate crisis we must stop emissions before they are produced — the government’s new Climate Risk Assessment laid bare the terrifying costs to Australian communities of climate inaction. Carbon dumping has not been proven to work at scale anywhere in the world and must be called out for the false promise it is.
“This is Woodside’s reckless and fanciful proposal to deal with a tiny proportion of its polluting gas project which, if approved, will undermine Australia’s commitment to limiting warming to 1.5C.”
Scott Reef is already subject to multiple environmental pressures, including marine heatwaves, coral bleaching and cyclone activity, driven by the burning of fossil fuels like gas. Woodside’s proposed carbon dumping and gas extraction activities threaten the long-term viability of the reef and the endangered species that rely on it.
The EPA’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) process is designed to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of proposals, including both direct and indirect (secondary) effects. The WA EPA is required to assess the environmental acceptability of any proposal likely to have a significant effect on the WA environment.
— ENDS —
References
- ^ Woodside referred its carbon dumping plans to the federal government (www.theguardian.com)