Woodside lodged a request to vary the plans in March, six years after the initial proposal was submitted.
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According to the EPA, the key changes include a reduction in the development envelope, which would mean drilling would no longer overlap the Scott Reef shallow water sea bed habitats or Sandy Islet.
Other modifications include removing or relocating drilling units to avoid green turtle habitats, and using new technology to minimise the risk of an oil spill.
With the amendment marking the third change to the proposal and years having passed since the last round of public feedback, which drew almost 20,000 submissions, EPA chair Darren Walsh said the organisation had decided to take the unusual step of reopening consultation.
“We think a four-week public review of this latest proposed amendment is appropriate for such a complex assessment of multiple environmental factors across a very sensitive project area,” he said.
“The volume of new technical information accompanying this proposed amendment is also considerable.
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“Public consultation on a proposed amendment is not usual process for the EPA, but we believe that in this case the circumstances warrant it.”
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Walsh said the EPA would consider the feedback before ruling on whether Woodside should be allowed to amend the plan during the assessment process.
The EPA’s report and recommendations to the Environment Minister were expected to be finalised by the end of the year and a final decision made shortly after that.
The news comes just six months after the WA government green lit Woodside’s plan to run the 200-hectare North West Shelf plant for another 50 years, six years after the company sought to extend the life of Australia’s largest export facility.
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The ruling ended a six-year-long approval process and cleared the way for the Browse joint venture between Woodside, BP, Mitsui, Mitsubishi and PetroChina.
The EPA gave the proposal the nod on the condition Woodside gradually decrease its emissions every five years to zero between 2030 and 2050.
The hub on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia’s north-west is expected to generate 4.3 billion tonnes of emissions over its lifespan, more than 10 times the nation’s current annual total.
Both projects have faced staunch opposition from conservation groups over their environmental impact, from emissions from the LNG plant to the erosion of ancient World Heritage-nominated Aboriginal rock art.
But Woodside has long maintained Browse gas could help address a predicted gas shortage in WA and support energy security, a position that has been backed by Premier Roger Cook and Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King.
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A final decision on the project, which became a political football in the lead up to both the state and federal election, will now fall to newly appointed Environment Minister Murray Watt.
Jesinta Burton – is a journalist with WAtoday, specialising in civil courts, business and urban development.Connect via Twitter or email.
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