Groundwater makes it possible to grow many of our crops and pastures. And we’re looking increasingly to aquifers to provide drinking water for our growing towns and cities. Groundwater is found in the voids between sediment grains in the subsurface. It can flow slowly like a river through aquifers or pool in great underground “lakes”. […]
The coal seam gas (CSG) industry being developed in Queensland could create huge amounts of the potent greenhouse gas methane, a Climate Institute scientist says.
“With thousands of potentially unregulated, unmonitored bores coming on-line in the next few years, we could see a massive spike in Queensland’s methane emissions.”
Methane is many times more potent a greenhouse pollutant than carbon dioxide CSG . . and will hugely increase the amount in the atmosphere.
Members of the Basin Sustainability Alliance say at least two Queensland Government documents show that CSG water is extracted directly from the Walloon Coal Measures, which is an aquifer of the Great Artesian Basin.
The same document also identifies that the amount of water available for allocation from the Walloon Coal Measure under the Resource Operations Plan is zero megalitres.
A December 2008 scoping study on the ground water impacts of the Coal Seam Gas development was commissioned by Queensland’s Department of Infrastructure and Planning and shows the Walloon Coal measures will be “dewatered” as part of the planned Coal Seam Gas industry developments
http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1052462 How’s this for a raw deal? A big company marches onto your land, sinks a well without your permission and then proceeds to threaten your livelihood. And it does it all with the consent and approval of the government. Now this would be bad enough if it was happening halfway across the world in […]
This is an abc radio interview with Kelly Fraser-Parle and Drew Hutton, of Queensland. They talk of leaking gas wells, and the enormous environmental impact posed by the coal seam gas and mining industries. Drew Hutton talks about the threat to the GAB from coal seam gas – and he says this is the biggest single environmental threat to Qld.
Here is an Environmental Impact Study (for Queensland Gas) that talks of drawdowns, water table lowering etc from CSG extraction: http://qclng.com.au/uploads/docs/eis/appendix/Appendix-3.4-Gas-Field-Groundwater-Report-01.pdf
ABC Radio National – Monday 16/11/09
The World Today (ABC) – Nick Xenophon and Professor Craig Simmons, warn that the ancient waters of the GAB are under severe stress (21/09/2009)
ANGRY farmers in the North West are trying to organise a boycott of next month’s Great Artesian Basin water auction in Walgett, but the Federal Government has confirmed it has no problems with the NSW Government’s planned sale. Canberra will not step in and override the new water licence auction, with federal Parliamentary Secretary for […]
FARMERS and one of the state’s leading environmental experts have raised concerns over the NSW Government’s decision to auction water licences for the Great Artesian Basin this month, which is likely to open the way for greater water trading in one of the largest underground reservoirs in the world.
‘Corporate abuse’ hits Great Artesian Basin
Risky Business