Media Release from Lock the Gate WalgettQueensland government to ban BTEX chemicals
Adelaide Advertiser - 4/8/2010
THE Queensland government will ban the use of BTEX chemicals in coal seam gas extraction.
BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylenes) are a group of chemicals found mainly in petroleum products.
An underground coal gasification (UCG) pilot plant at Kingaroy, 210km northwest of Brisbane, was closed down earlier this month after traces of the cancer-causing chemicals benzene and toluene were found in bores near the plant.
Farmers concerned about the impact of mining in the state’s food bowl regions plan to march on state parliament in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Mines Minister Stephen Robertson told state parliament the ban was being imposed for the protection of the community and the environment.
“It is our commitment to legislate to ban them from ever being used in Queensland,” he said. “The message is very clear, no one is allowed to use these chemicals in the extraction of coal seam gas.
“I will also be writing to all companies involved in (coal seam gas) extraction to advise them of the new requirements and regulations.”
Greens Senate candidate and environmental lawyer Larissa Waters earlier on Wednesday said coal seam gas mining and UCG should not proceed at the expense of food production, water security, endangered species or the climate.
BTX is not ‘used’ by either CSG or UCG but is (allegedly) produced by UCG (and not by CSG). In fact, the levels are so low as to not cause a health problem. Furthermore, BTX is naturally present in coal so these low levels are likely to have been there for as long as the coal has. To be clear, it nothing to do with UCG – nobody has gone looking for it before. Therefore, it has done nobody any harm.
There has to be an injection of commonsense by Kingaroy residents into this debate or else we are playing into the hands of the eco-mentalists. Get a grip of the facts -Queensland.
seam coal gas mining should be BANNED completely, any poison is a threat to the enviroment
not matter how big or small, all these gas wells popping up everywhere, spurting out chemicals is a hugh risk no matter how the mining companies want to spin it!!!!!!!!!!
Coal has always been carcinogenic. It is naturally this way and UCG does not have to make it any more carcinogenic. In fact the first case of occupationally induced cancer (and hence all cancer studies and legislation since) was with chimey sweeps in London. Phillipa you have missed the point completely.