[6] In November 2012, Massey University scientist Steve Trewick said that a new species of cave weta had been identified in the March 2012 field-trip to the Denniston Plateau.
[11] In September 2011, the West Coast Environment Network and Forest and Bird appealed the granting of the consents to the Environment Court because of the likely impacts on rare landscapes and habitats for threatened species in the conservation estate and because of the climate change impacts from the carbon dioxide released from the coal.
The resource sector lobby group Straterra described the project as a "green mining case study" that "seeks to achieve a net positive benefit for the environment".
[23] In March 2012, a crowd of environmental activists and Green Party MPs rallying against coal mining greeted Prime Minister John Key Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley with boos and jeers as they attended the opening of Bathurst Resources’ new Wellington offices.
[24] On 25 September 2012, Minister of Economic Development Steven Joyce called on Forest and Bird and West Coast Environment Network to withdraw their appeals.
[25] In November 2013, Forest and Bird decided not to appeal the Environment Court's decision in October to allow the Escarpment Mine to proceed.