Fed: Clean coal gets the green light

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2008
Fed: Clean coal gets the green light

A federal parliamentary committee has given the green light to burying carbon pollution
under the ground .. and suggests taxpayers pay any clean-up bills.

The world's first laws to allow companies to capture carbon dioxide emissions from
power stations and bury them under the seabed are under consideration in Canberra.

Called Carbon Capture and Storage .. or clean coal .. the technology is held by some
to be central to Australia's efforts to tackle climate change.

A House of Representatives Committee has endorsed the draft laws .. with one key change
.. it wants the government to assume legal liability if something goes wrong in the long-term.

The proposal appears to be a win for oil .. coal and power companies .. who want to
use the technology.

But the Greens have called foul .. saying taxpayers should not clean up after coal companies.

AAP RTV ca/wz/fdf

KEYWORD: CLIMATE COAL (CANBERRA)

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