The Federal Court of Australia overturned mining conglomerate Adani's federal environmental permit for the controversial Carmichael coal mine planned for central Queensland. The ruling is the latest development in a series of legal and political challenges to what would be Australia's largest coal mine. The court found that Environment Minister Greg Hunt failed to properly consider agency advice regarding two endangered species, the yakka skink and the ornamental snake, when issuing Adani's permit. A spokesman for the Mackay Conservation Group, which brought the lawsuit challenging the permit, expressed hope that Hunt would not re-approve the permit after considering the new information. Meanwhile, Adani, the federal Environment Department, and the Queensland government all characterized the defect as purely technical, indicating re-approval was imminent. For the full story, see http://www.smh.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/federal-court-overturns-approval-of-adani-carmichael-coal-mine-in-queensland-20150805-girtz9.html. Earlier: http://elr.info/international/international-update/proposal-massive-coal-mine-challenged-australian-court.