Will the boom in gas drilling, ruin the country’s water?Millionaires: not in our backyard
http://www.afr.com.au:80/p/national/millionaires_not_in_our_backyard_E3sB01Jq0IRg0cYNsu4zvI
Federal cave-in on gas restrictions
BACK DOWN: The Federal Government has relaxed environmental conditions after a mining company threatened to walk away from its $15 billion project.
Documents tabled in Federal Parliament last week show that at least one of the three projects approved had raised its own concerns about shallow groundwater contamination from salt ponds and chemical and fuel storage sites associated with processing plants.
There have also been warnings that underground acquifers would be so depleted by the projects that it could take centuries to replenish them.
“If not adequately managed and regulated, it risks having significant, long-term and adverse impacts on adjacent surface and groundwater systems,” the NWC said.
“Queensland has a long history of non-enforcement of environmental regulation with regard to the mining industry which, basically, regulates itself,” Drew Hutton said. “This industry is too big and too powerful to be effectively regulated.”
Peak body warning on CSG
The peak national advisory body on water issues has warned the coal seam gas industry could have a “significant” impact on surface and groundwater if not managed properly.
“We also recognise that if not adequately managed and regulated, the industry risks significant, long-term and adverse impacts on surface and groundwater systems.”
Forum fires up coal seam gas debate
It was “extraordinary” that such valuable food-producing land was being placed at risk when world populations were escalating and global freshwater reserves and agricultural land was disappearing, Dr Stanley said.
An environmental lawyer by profession, Ms Waters criticised the Queensland Government’s approval of mining developments before questions about their large potential impacts had been answered, and its decision to adopt an “adaptive” management approach instead.
“I have a lot of difficulty with adaptive management, which says ‘let’s approve it, if they muck it up, they can make good’,” she said.
“Well how do you make good? When the groundwater table drops, how do you fix that?”
Miners’ access laws in Qld ‘draconian’
Laws allowing miners to enter properties in Queensland are “incredibly draconian” and ignore the rights of landholders, the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties (QCCL) says.
Amendments to the law mean that when a dispute over a miner’s right of entry to a property reaches the Land Court it automatically gives miners a right of entry to that property before the court even begins to hear the dispute.
Queensland Party demands freeze on gas exploration
“The LNP (Liberal National Party), in particular, have sold out their true believers – the Queensland farmer in regional Queensland – to please the mining companies that fund them.”
“The Queensland Party will stand up for them and continue to call for a moratorium until it is certain that there will be no long-term adverse environmental impact from the coal seam gas industry and genuine consultation has taken place with landowners.”
Opposition pushes for independence on coal seam gas
“Handing the job to the Government’s Water Commission is completely inappropriate because the Water Commission was established to set water restrictions for householders in urban Brisbane – not oversee the protection of streams and aquifers in areas of CSG activities.”
Independents expose major parties’ sell-out of Queenslanders
‘Only the Independents and Queensland Party members understand how useless it is to regulate after environmental harm is caused which is all that the state government’s 600 environmental conditions can do.’
Anti-Qld gas exploration demo planned
“This community has nowhere else to go.
“They can either resist non-violently or see QGC move onto their properties rendering them unsaleable and forcing them to live cheek-by-jowl with coal seam gas infrastructure the rest of their lives.”
Will the boom in gas drilling, ruin the country’s water?
Excellent U.S. interview with Josh Fox, about his journey to discover the truth about coal seam gas drilling.