The EPA granted conditional approval this week.

EPA chairman Paul Vogel said the plant would be a minor contributor of emissions to the Collie air shed.

But because Collie’s total emissions would exceed national standards, “the EPA’s objectives will only be met provided the emissions from the Muja A-B power stations are appropriately addressed during its refurbishment,” Dr Vogel said. “The plant would be a significant emitter of greenhouse gases and with the continued uncertainty over a Commonwealth carbon market, the EPA has recommended greenhouse gas abatement conditions addressing carbon capture and storage.

“The Shotts Industrial Park will have five development areas available so to prevent the plant from constraining future industries within the Shotts Industrial Park, the EPA has recommended a condition specifying noise criteria at the buffer boundary.

“Black cockatoo nesting trees which are removed during construction are recommended to be replaced with artificial nesting boxes on a six-for-one basis.”

Perdaman corporate director Andreas Walewski said he was confident the EPA’s conditions would be met.

“We cannot comment on Muja A-B, but we can concentrate on managing our own emissions and making sure they are within our own limits,” he said. “We know what our emissions are so we don’t expect any surprises. What we have said in our plans is what we will emit.”

Mr Walewski said Perdaman would continue to support carbon sequestration technology being developed in the South West.

“We are still on track with our time schedules and are ticking off the boxes,” he said. Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray said the EPA approval was a step forward. “Once they adhere to EPA guidelines it will be a major step forward in securing the future of Collie,” he said. “There is still a long way to go but it is pleasing that Perdaman have put the work in to appease the EPA.”

Bunbury Wellington Economic Alli-ance chief executive Matt Granger said the EPA’s conditional approval was a very important step towards establishing an exciting new industry at the Shotts Industrial Park near Collie. It would be “an enormous boost for Collie and the entire South West.”

Collie Chamber of Commerce chief executive Richard Jackson said: “Ob-viously a lot is dependent on Shotts Park getting (final) approval. This is not just an issue for Collie but for the South West in general.

“It (Shotts Park) is about the only place where a heavy industry business park would be acceptable. It would not be acceptable, for instance, in a coastal community,” he said.