Woodside Energy's proposal to drill for gas off Western Australia's coast poses significant risks to endangered turtles and coral reefs, according to the state's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). A draft letter from the EPA criticized the company's plans, stating that efforts to protect marine life would be ineffective and that the risk of oil spills could not be reduced to acceptable levels. The EPA warned of potential serious harm to the ecosystem, urging the invocation of the precautionary principle. Woodside's drilling plans include over 50 wells, with concerns that a well leak could lead to irreversible damage to the Scott Reef ecosystem.