Qld Govt Yet to List all CSG Chemicals

The Queensland government is yet to deliver on a promise to list all chemicals used in coal seam gas mining on a website.

The State government says it has banned the use of cancer-causing chemicals collectively known as BTEX.

But even so, farmers and residents in the gas fields of southern and central Queensland are concerned about the impact of fracking - the process of injecting water into the cracks in rocks to extract the gas - on underground water storages they use for cattle, crops, domestic purposes and, in some cases, to drink.  Read More.

Ninemsn

Get Educated About Coal Seam Gas

Recently the Senate inquiry into the coal seam gas industry’s potential impact on the Murray Darling Basin toured Queensland. As well as hearing from gas companies and farmers, Senators heard evidence from scientists representing Doctors for the Environment Australia. The toxic BTEX group of chemicals (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) were banned from use in drilling and fracking (hydraulic fracturing) fluids in Queensland last year after they were found in aquifers close to gas wells. But the medical experts argued that these chemicals occur naturally in coal seams and can enter groundwater and the air when wells are fracked.

Read More

Northern Rivers Echo

Australian Food Security Forum

Last night's Australian Food Security Forum is now being replayed on the APAC Channel (Channel 648) or CLICK HERE

Queensland CSG Company Drops Indonesian Venture

A Brisbane-based coal seam gas (CSG) company has pulled out of an Indonesian joint venture to concentrate on projects in Queensland.

WestSide says it had planned to explore for coal seam gas in Indonesia, but there was uncertainty over ownership and rights.  Read More

Efficient Farming

Santos Chief Extols Green Credentials Coal-Seam Gas

SANTOS chief executive David Knox continued to hit the hustings yesterday to talk about the potential and green credentials of coal-seam gas.   

Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce business lunch in Sydney yesterday, Mr Knox began by playing an advertisement the company has been running on television stations in Queensland and NSW involving a farmer whose land is being used to produce coal-seam gas.

"Advertising represents a significant step out for Santos," Mr Knox said, adding the company "has not traditionally sought the spotlight". Read More

The Australian

Farmers Lock Out Miners

FARMERS have resorted to locking their gates to stop coal seam gas companies entering their properties and exploring.

One farmer was even offered a holiday - the latest tactic used by coal seam explorers to get their people on to his farm, The Daily Telegraph reports.

As the coal seam gas industry looks to bring its controversial processes - possibly including fracking - from Queensland to NSW, farmers are worried about soil contamination and what is being done to protect water resources and food security. Read More

Weekly Times Now

The Brutal Reality of Climate Politics

Malcolm Turnbull made an interesting observation when defending his apparent popularity with Labor voters at a National Press Club luncheon in Canberra on Wednesday. The art of winning elections, he said, was not by persuading ardent supporters to vote with more enthusiasm, but by attracting people who didn’t vote for you last time.

If only the Labor Party could afford the luxury of such thoughts. Given the state of the polls, the ALP would be happy for just the support of incumbent voters, enthusiastic or not. The middle ground must seem a generation away...Read More

Climate Spectator

Dart Energy Limited (ASX:DTE) Signed Agreement Regarding Gas Power Generation Projects in NSW

 Dart Energy Limited (ASX:DTE) has entered into an agreement with Clarke Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd (Clarke Energy) under which Clarke Energy will provide services to Dart Energy that deliver economic and schedule benefits resulting in early first power and hence monetisation with respect to the development of small to mid-scale gas fired power generation projects in NSW.

Dart Energy has appointed Clarke Energy as its exclusive contractor for the design, supply, installation, commissioning and operations and maintenance services; of small to mid-scale gas-fired power generation projects in NSW that would source gas from Dart Energy's NSW licence portfolio. Clarke Energy will also assist with the identification of project opportunities and feasibility studies... Read More

IT News

We'll Publish and be Damned

Peter Stone, director of the new Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA) that will investigate coal seam gas mining, says $10 million in funding from Australia Pacific LNG does not compromise the new body’s position.

Dr Stone, the deputy chief of CSIRO ecosystem sciences, bristles at any suggestion there is a conflict of interest for the CSIRO.

“The CSIRO is Australia’s most trusted organisation and it jealously guards its status as Australia’s most trusted organisation. We wouldn’t do anything to materially harm that,” he said. Read More

The Northern Rivers Echo

Militant Farmers Hate Coal Seam Miner Gate Crashers

FARMERS have resorted to locking their gates to stop coal seam gas companies entering their properties and exploring.   

One farmer was even offered a holiday - the latest tactic used by coal seam explorers to get their people on to his farm. As the coal seam gas industry looks to bring its controversial processes - possibly including fracking - from Queensland to NSW, farmers are worried about soil contamination and what is being done to protect water resources and food security.  Read More

The Daily Telegraph

Coal Seam Damage to Water Inevitable

The Coal Seam Gas Industry has conceded that extraction will inevitably contaminate aquifiers.

The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association told a fiery public meeting in Sydney that good management could minimise the risks of water contamination, but never eliminate them.   Read More

Sydney Morning Herald

O'Farrell Should Stop Gas Drilling: Greens

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell should override his energy minister and stop two coal seam gas exploration leases from being renewed, the Greens say.

The AGL exploration lease at Camden, southwest of Sydney, expired on March 28 while Eastern Star Gas' lease to drill near Narrabri, in the state's north, expired on August 2.

Read More

NineMSN News

Farmers Head to Food Forum

MEMBERS of the Golden Triangle Action Group will make the journey south tomorrow in an effort to tell their story to a national audience.

The farmers, who are fighting a coal mine proposal on their Central Highlands land, will travel to Oakey for the inaugural Australia’s Food Security forum hosted by leading radio broadcaster Alan Jones.

Protest groups from around the state are expected to join forces by sharing their stories to a crowd filled with national media, dignitaries, activists and politicians.

“We want to go down there and tell the real story of what’s happening out here. What we’re fighting for,” GTAG’s Andrew Bate said. Read More

Central Queensland News

Campbell Newman Happy to Offload CSG Shares

Campbell Newman, a Liberal National Party Leader, said that the Queensland state government had failed to regulate the proper growt of the coal seam gas (CSG) sector in the state.  The party wants stronger scrutiny of CSG mining and this was outlined by Shadow Primary Industries Minister Ray Hopper as well.  Read More

AOZ Mining.com

Stay Off our Prime Land, Farmers Tell Coal Seam Gas Explorers

Farmers have voted in support of prohibiting mining and CSG activities on prime agricultural land at the NSW Farmer's Annual Conference, which wound up in Sydney yesterday.  Read More.

Cowra Community News

NSW Farmers Fear a Repeat of Queensland's Coal Seam Gas Expansion

NSW farmers have warned a Senate inquiry that the impact of coal seam gas in Queensland must not be repeated in other states.

The Committee for Rural Affairs has heard evidence from landholders and lobby groups at its only NSW public hearing in Narrabri about the industry's potential impact on agriculture...Read More.

ABC Rural

Children Get One-Sided Energy View

Mount Carroll, Illinois: An American View

 

The goal of a corporation is to make a profit. To achieve this goal, corporations often concentrate on the interests of the corporation rather than on possible benefits or risks to consumers.

The tobacco industry has been a major offender. As part of the Master Settlement Agreement in 1998, tobacco companies agreed to limit their advertising, accepting restrictions on targeting youth. Read More

Journal Standard.com

Senate Hearing Spotlight on Coal Seam Gas

Farmers and environment groups from the north-west of New South Wales are preparing to lobby a Senate hearing to act on their concerns about coal seam gas exploration.

The public hearing by the Senate committee at Narrabri today follows three previous sessions in Queensland at Brisbane, Roma and Dalby. Read More.

ABC News

Coal Seam Gas Under Nation's Largest City

Regional Australia isn't the only place where debate is raging over Coal Seam Gas. The company, Dart Energy has an exploration licence that covers a large portion of the Sydney basin. At a community forum last night, the company's CEO sought to play down concerns over mining in the suburb of St Peters, but said the company may start exploration drilling elsewhere in the Sydney basin next year.  Read More.

ABC News

Coal Seam Gas Pipe Leaks

Trouble bubbling over coal seam gas leaks in the Piiliga

The State Government has started an investigation into leaks from coal seam gas pipelines in the Pilliga. The Greens MP, Jeremy Buckingham filmed the pipes bubbling and hissing during a fact finding trip more than a week ago.

The company in charge of the operation Eastern Star Gas believes the pipes were tampered with....Read More and Watch Video

ABC New England North West

Anger at Sydney CSG Meeting

The controversial coal seam gas debate has reached New South Wales, with a community meeting in inner west Sydney last night producing some angry exchanges between environmentalists and mining representatives.

The chief executive of Dart Energy, Robert de Weijer bore the brunt of most of the heated questions and accusations last night at the meeting held in the Leichhardt Town Hall, according to the Herald Sun.....Read More.

Australian Mining

NSW Landholders Want a Halt to Coal Seam Gas Exploitation

The rapidly expanding coal seam gas industry is moving from Queensland into New South Wales. A federal senate inquiry is investigating the industry's impact on agriculture in the murray darling basin. A group of farmers in the north west of NSW have united in an unprecedented campaign denying access to companies seeking to drill on their land....Read More

ABC News

Anger at Coal Seam Gas Mining Meeting

Coal seam gas mining industry representatives and environmentalists have faced off at a heated community meeting in inner west Sydney.

There were angry scenes at the meeting in Leichhardt Town Hall on Monday evening, mainly directed at the CEO of Dart Energy, the company that holds the exploration licence to drill for coal seam gas in the Sydney region.

Dart Energy chief executive Robbert de Weijer said he understood people's concerns about coal seam gas mining, but said he believed it could co-exist with communities....Read More

Yahoo 7 News

Senator Joyce Caught in the CSG Web

Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce has been caught up in the coal seam gas controversy after finding out his own farm will be mined. Senator Joyce discovered his northern NSW farm was an exploratory target only after a neighbour tipped him off.... Read More

SMH

Cecil Plains Irrigators Meet with Arrow Energy

CECIL Plains irrigators challenging the Queensland Government over coal seam gas extraction have entered into mediation talks with Arrow Energy.

Representatives from the farming families and their legal advisers met for the first time last week with Arrow, the coal seam gas company seeking to mine the agriculture region - across production aquifers and black soil farmland...Read More