Put brakes on CSG, Windsor urgesGasland – interviews with Josh Fox
David Stratton from ‘At The Movies’ interviews Josh Fox, about GasLand
CSG plans approved despite red flag
ENVIRONMENT and Water Minister Tony Burke was warned by his department of “significant concerns” that $35 billion of coal-seam gas projects in Queensland could damage water supplies, cause land subsidence and interfere with reforms in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Advice from the Water Group within Mr Burke’s department said the companies had been “extremely conservative” in their estimates of how much water they would take from the Great Artesian Basin. The minister’s department said it could be “at least 1000 years” before water levels recovered.
End this ‘criminal’ coal mining greed
Speaking in Brisbane today, Greens leader Bob Brown accused the state and federal governments of greedily pushing ahead with the money-spinning projects without fully understanding the environmental and health impacts.
Senator Brown said he wrote to federal Environment Minister Tony Burke last week calling for a national moratorium on further exploration of coal and coal seam gas.
“Until he knows what the cost is, until he knows what the loss of farmland is, until he knows what the dangers are to the water systems of the Murray Darling Basin,” Senator Brown said.
“The government needs to slow down.
“There are valid concerns from … all across Queensland, (people) who are worried that this state is turning into a quarry for the world’s pollution and not a source of clean energy and a source of food for us and others.”
Protest scheduled for Parliament House
Mr Armstrong says far less concern is being shown over the risk to the environment, water tables and the health of rural children impacted by the state’s mining bonanza.
“It’s the biggest challenge to face rural Queensland – its industrialisation – for foreign interests,” he said.
“And until (Minister) Robertson and (Premier) Bligh acknowledge that, and stop saying ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ and realise that job re-location is not job creation, the better.
“Growers will be refusing to negotiate with companies that won’t guarantee that there won’t be any effects on our aquifers….”
Land use fury takes another steep turn
The APLNG project’s Environmental Impact Statement, recently approved by Queensland’s Coordinator General, states that effects on groundwater in the Walloon Coal Measures, which are used for stock and domestic water supplies and are directly connected to the important Condamine Alluvium freshwater aquifer, are likely to be “widespread and long-term (in the order of 200 years)”.
Toxins found at third site as fracking fears build
TRACES of toxic chemicals have been found at a ”fracking” operation to extract coal seam gas – the third time this year that gas producers have detected contamination at a drill site.
Emails between department staff and Metgasco show that testing for coal seam gas using fracking can go ahead without approval being sought or required from the Environment Department.
Cate Faehrmann, a Greens MP, said the department appeared to do little more than apply a ”rubber-stamping exercise” to fracking applications.
Cancer-causing chemical confirmed in CSG wells
The Greens say an alarming pattern is emerging and want a moratorium imposed on exploration licences for CSG mining projects, until water supply and other risks are properly assessed.
The National Farmers Federation also fears there have not been enough studies done to ensure groundwater won’t be adversely affected by CSG and other similar operations.
Gas drilling goes ahead without any checks
The state government does not conduct any environmental assessment of exploration drilling for gas into coal seams despite increasing concern about its impact on aquifers and water supplies.
Documents tabled last week in Parliament show the government has little understanding of the possible environmental impact of coal seam gas exploration wells that are being drilled.
Fracking hell: Busting the natural gas myth
Gasland is a film of ‘‘direct relevance for Australia as we are faced with the consequences of a coal-seam gas rush.’’
‘‘This is a huge issue because once you’ve contaminated an aquifer you can’t go back.’’
There’s one other point Fox is keen to make: it’s not just the water that’s the issue, it’s also the emissions. Methane, a key component of the gas produced, is up to 72 times more potent a greenhouse gas than CO2, and it is emitted all along the production path as well as when it is burnt.
Call to suspend gas exploration
NSW Greens Upper House MP Cate Faehrmann has again called for a moratorium on coal seam gas exploration in the state during a protest against the industry in Sydney. Ms Faehrmann’s call comes after a contamination scare on Tuesday in which a cancer-causing agent was found in three coal seam gas wells owned by Arrow […]