Inpex's Ichthys LNG project has been under scrutiny for years due to its toxic emissions, which were found to be 'systematically underestimated'. This revelation has sparked concern and calls for action, as the project's environmental reporting and public health risk assessments are compromised. The independent review, commissioned by the NT's Environment Protection Authority, uncovered a web of issues, including missing documentation, fundamental errors in emissions calculations, and unreported sources of pollution. These findings come at a time when Inpex is already facing separate territory and federal government investigations into its emissions reporting. The company initially reported just four tonnes of benzene, a known carcinogen, but later revised this figure to over 500 tonnes, an increase of more than 13,000%. This dramatic revision highlights the severity of the issue and the potential impact on public health and the environment. Inpex's senior vice president, Bill Townsend, has assured the community that the company did not intentionally misreport, but the independent review paints a different picture. The NT Environment Protection Authority commissioned Air Environment to review Inpex's data and reporting systems, and the findings were damning. The report revealed 'systematic errors' in reporting, with data quality issues permeating the entire system. Both formaldehyde and ammonia, chemicals hazardous to human health, were not reported to the National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) despite meeting reporting thresholds. The review also raised concerns about the independence of Inpex's emissions data, suggesting that the current estimation method is inadequate for accurate public reporting. Despite these findings, Inpex's Mr. Townsend maintains that the company's air emissions modeling is technically sound and compliant with guidelines. However, the NT EPA acknowledges the shortcomings in Inpex's documentation and quality checks, but insists that the risk to human health remains 'very low'. This has sparked debate, with the Australian Medical Association's NT president, John Zorbas, advocating for independent air monitoring to ensure public safety. Kirsty Howey, director of the Environment Centre NT, calls for a public inquiry, questioning the NT EPA's assertion of low risk. The ongoing investigation by the NT EPA into potential environmental law breaches at Inpex highlights the need for transparency and accountability. The public's trust in Inpex and the NT EPA has been eroded, and independent monitoring is seen as the only way to prevent such under-reporting in the future. The controversy surrounding Inpex's Ichthys LNG project serves as a stark reminder of the importance of accurate environmental reporting and the potential consequences of systematic errors.
