An Upper Hunter environment group has commenced legal action to prevent the expansion of Mt Pleasant coal mine.
It came despite concerns that the project was "reckless and irresponsible" in its disregard for the surrounding environment.
The Environmental Defenders Office commenced appeal proceedings against the approval on behalf of the Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group in the Land and Environment Court this week.
"Muswellbrook already has the worst air quality in NSW. Allowing Mt Pleasant to become the biggest open-cut coal mine in the state is only going to make this dangerous health problem worse," DAMSHEG president Wendy Wales said. "
"It's not just the health impacts - this project is wrong on so many levels. Mach Energy is planning to dig up 444 million tonnes of coal that will add more than 870 million tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
"We can't afford that; climate change is already running away on us. Surely, we have learned something from the catastrophic heatwaves, droughts, fires and floods in recent years, here and across the world.
The Independent Planning Commission found the application said the project would have a net positive economic impact through the provision of up to an average of 447 direct and indirect full time equivalent jobs in the Muswellbrook and Upper Hunter local government areas, 643 full-time equivalent jobs in the wider Hunter Valley region, and 444 full-time equivalent jobs elsewhere in NSW.
But Lock the Gate said the project, which would be responsible for nearly one billion tonnes of carbon emissions, highlighted the desperate need for a national approach to assessing major polluting projects.
The Alliance has on federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to refuse the expansion project.
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