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Call for CSG moratorium after NSW spill

Date: 09-Feb-12
Author: AAP via Nine News
Environmentalists are calling for a moratorium on coal seam gas mining in the NSW, after toxic chemicals were detected in the Pilliga state forest six months after a toxic spill.

Soil and water samples taken by the Wilderness Society showed high levels of a number of metals, in the wake of a June 2011 saline water spill at Santos's coal seam gas project near Narrabri, in northern NSW.

The samples showed lead at five times the acceptable drinking water standard, arsenic at twice and chromium at 3.74 times the acceptable standards - a toxic cocktail the Wilderness Society says could still be leaking from the gas project.

Our land, our water, contaminated by CSG

Date: 09-Feb-12
Author: Jacinta Green
Lock The Gate Alliance has recently received news of independent soil and water sample results from contaminated zones in the Pilliga forest near SANTOS's Coal Seam Gas operation.

Drew Hutton, President of Lock The Gate "The testing (commissioned by environment groups, but tested by an independent laboratory) contains disturbing information about the true impacts of CSG, and the appalling attitude of the Coal Seam Gas companies."

Greens push for CSG inquiry

Date: 09-Feb-12
Author: Colin Bettles (The Land)
GREENS Senator Larissa Waters has proposed a broad-ranging Federal Senate inquiry to investigate the impacts of Coal Seam Gas mining on land and water resources on a comprehensive national scale.

Senator Waters lodged a notice for the inquiry in the Senate yesterday, and will be voted on today.

A Senate Rural Affairs and Transport committee inquiry - chaired by NSW Liberal Senator and active Junee wheat and sheep farmer Bill Heffernan - was held last year and focussed on the impacts of CSG mining in the Murray Darling Basin.

The inquiry made 24 key recommendations and backed a moratorium on CSG mining on prime agricultural land, until scientific experts can establish definitive knowledge of its long-term impacts and in particular, potentially irreparable damage to underground water supplies.

Drew Hutton on Coal Seam Gas

Date: 09-Feb-12
Author: Alan Jones (2GB)
Alan Jones speaks with conservationist Drew Hutton about the threat posed by CSG mining.

Coalpac is following an age old formula

Date: 09-Feb-12
Author: Lithgow Mercury
BLUE Mountains Conservation Society campaigner Justin McKee has warned Cullen Bullen residents to be wary of Coalpac employing 'age old' mining company tactics to win over the region in a bid to forge ahead with its devastating open cut mining project.
At a Cullen Bullen community forum regarding the controversial Coalpac Consolidation Project Mr McKee said Coalpac was following an age-old formula to divide and conquer.

"The process any mining company will follow to divide and then conquer a community is age old and I've witnessed this in the Hunter Region time and time again," Mr McKee said.

Queensland port extensions to escape environmental restrictions

Date: 09-Feb-12
Author: Rosanne Barrett (The Australian)
BILLION-DOLLAR port expansions on Queensland's coastline will be exempt from environmental restrictions.
The exemptions from the Queensland Coastal Plan will allow ports greater flexibility to dredge, reclaim land and build canals than other developments along the coast.

The plan also exempts port developments from requirements that they not adversely affect the habitat of threatened species, or places that support a "critical life-stage ecological process", such as feeding, brooding or roosting.

The plan, which came into effect on Friday, creates a statewide policy to protect against the damaging impacts of climate change, including forecast storm surges and increased intensity of cyclones.

CSG answers essential

Date: 09-Feb-12
Author: Westender
Greens propose new nation-wide inquiry into the Coal Seam Gas industry
A new Senate Inquiry into coal seam gas across Australia has been proposed by the Australian Greens spokesperson for mining, Senator Larissa Waters.

"The previous Senate Inquiry into coal seam gas only looked at the impacts of CSG in the Murray Darling Basin, but CSG is a problem everywhere," Senator Waters said.

"It also didn't look at the impacts of massive port developments for CSG along the coast, such as the ongoing environmental disaster in Gladstone harbour.

(Video) Undermining Our Foodbowl - Tim Duddy

Date: 08-Feb-12
Author: Sydney Food Fairness Alliance
Voices from the frontline on how CSG & mining are threatening future food.
Hear about the fight against mining and coal seam gas from leading activists in the prime agricultural region of the Liverpool Plains, as well as from Doctors for the Environment.

More than half of NSW is covered by titles for coal, mineral or CSG exploration or production however the question of what this means for food production is yet to be answered.

PRESENTERS INCLUDE:
Tim Duddy - Caroona Coal Action Group (CCAG) Spokesperson
Helen Redmond -- Doctors for the Environment
Rosemary Nankivell -- organiser of recent successful blockade against Santos
With Costa as the wonderful host!

Presented by Sydney Food Fairness Alliance (SFFA)
Sydney, Australia, 6 Feb, 2012

CSG mine leaks toxic chemicals into environment

Date: 08-Feb-12
Author: Conor Duffy (ABC News)
Dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals have been uncovered in water and soil around coal seam gas wells in the Pilliga State Forest in north-western NSW.

Toxic chemicals found in water and soil near CSG site in Pilliga state forest

Date: 08-Feb-12
Author: Kate Ausburn
Chemicals including heavy metals have been found in water and soil samples taken from a coal seam gas operation in the Pilliga forest in the state's north, according to test results released today.

Samples for testing were collected by an environmental group six months after the discharge of 10,000L of saline water at the CSG exploration site which was operated by Eastern Star Gas at the time. The results show levels of chemicals much higher than is acceptable when compared with drinking water standards.

Chemicals at CSG site 'worrying'

Date: 08-Feb-12
Author: 7 News
Soil and water tests from a coal seam gas project in the State's north show alarming levels of chemicals, including heavy metals like arsenic and lead.

Santos Proves Less Gas Than Expected For LNG Project

Date: 08-Feb-12
Author: Fox Business
Santos Ltd. (STO.AU) said Wednesday it proved the existence of less reserves than expected last year to feed a US$16 billion Australian gas export project contracted to supply South Korea and Malaysia with energy for decades.

The Australian company continued to express confidence in its reserves coverage, while analysts at Macquarie Group agreed that Santos, while cutting it closer than some rival projects, will probably come up with the gas it needs.

Investigation underway into possible pollution

Date: 08-Feb-12
Author: NBN News
The Department of Primary Industries is investigating possible environmental breaches by Eastern Star Gas.

The Wilderness Society claims it has proof that a state forest has been damaged by run-off, from a coal seam gas drilling site.

Minister ranks Straddie mining as top election issue

Date: 08-Feb-12
Author: Judith Kerr (Bayside Bulletin / The Redland Times)
Environment Minister Vicky Darling has ranked mining on North Stradbroke Island as one of the top three election issues.

Ms Darling, speaking on ABC Radio this morning, said recycling, mining on Stradbroke Island and coal-seam gas were the key environmental issues in the lead up to the March 24 election.

Ms Darling said she believed it was impossible to fully restore and rehabilitate some island ecosystems on the island after mining and said the best that could be done was "revegetation".

"That's why legislation to restrict sand mining and ultimately end the sand mining on the island is very important," Ms Darling said.

Greens want new CSG inquiry

Date: 08-Feb-12
Author: Sky News
The Australian Greens want a new inquiry into coal seam gas mining to look at the effects it has on the environment across the country.

A Senate inquiry, which assessed the impact of CSG mining on the Murray Darling Basin last year, urged the federal government and the states to change the way they managed the sector.

Greens senator Larissa Waters, who sat on the inquiry, said its focus was not broad enough.

'CSG is a problem everywhere,' she told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday, citing environmental problems at Gladstone in Queensland where the local port authority is undertaking massive dredging operations to accommodate the a CSG plant and loading facilities.

Senator Waters said a new inquiry should focus on marine impacts in particular.

'We've got sick fish, sick sharks, sick crabs,' she said.