Call to test for origin of debris

GREEN groups are calling on the Environment Department to test the origin of coal collected from a Townsville beach last week.

Anthony Tipping, of Belgian Gardens, said he found the coal samples near the boat ramp at Pallarenda.

“The beach wasn’t covered in them but there was enough to easily spot them,” he said.

“I collected about 10 pieces. It would be nice to know if the coal is from the natural cycle of the ocean or a ship.”

James Cook University Associate Professor Eric Roberts, head of the Department of Earth and Ocean, confirmed the black substance Mr Tipping found was coal.

Assoc Prof Roberts said it appeared the coal had been in the ocean for some time.

“The samples were fairly rounded,” he said.

“It looks to have been out to sea for a while and even washed ashore repeatedly.”

North Queensland Conservation Council co- ordinator Maree Dibella said the State Government needed to investigate the source.

“Any time a member of the public has discovered a potential spill, well that needs to be closely examined,” she said.

WWF Australia head of oceans Richard Leck also urged the State Government to take the time to determine the source of the coal.

The find comes after coal pieces were found on a beach near Mackay recently.

A Department of Environment and Heritage Protection ( EHP) spokesman said the department had not received any complaints re- garding coal being found at Pallarenda beach.

The spokesman said the EHP followed up on all complaints made through its pollution hotline.

“It is not uncommon to find small pieces of coal on some beaches in the Towns- ville area and it should also be noted that coal naturally occurs in the environment,” the spokesman said.

“There is no coal loading activities carried out at the port of Townsville at this time.”

The spokesman said EHP had no reason to believe the small amount of coal that sometimes washed up on beaches in the Townsville area was associated with the bulk coal loading operations.

Assoc Prof Roberts said further testing would need to determine the source of the coal.

“The cautionary tale is that there are a lot of possible sources,” he said.

“There is a possibility that it fell off a ship or from where it was loaded from a coal loading facility, but there are also plenty of examples of coal naturally eroding from the Queensland coastline.”

Port of Townsville CEO Ranee Crosby said even though Townsville was not a coal export port, there had been reports of coal on beaches in the area for many years.

“There is talk of old shipwrecks being a possible source,” she said. “It is an interesting phenomenon and would be fascinating to see what testing would reveal about the origins of the coal.”

Port of Townsville gets one or two import shipments of coking coal each year, with the last being in mid- 2016.

Members of the public can report suspected pollution incidents to the EHP Pollution Hotline on 1300 130 372.