Coal seam gas - a case study - Pilliga Forest, Australia

The risks and impact of coal seam gas mining can be amply demonstrated by looking at the example of the Pilliga Forest in NSW where this form of mining has been in operation for the past ten years.  On the site there have been a series of damaging incidents:

• Major spillage of saline water leading to extensive tree deaths in the forest,
• Clearing of vegetation without Federal environmental approval,
• Over-flow of contaminated drill ponds into surrounding areas during rain,
• Repeated failures to line drill ponds leading to major salt scalds on surrounding soils,
• Leaking gas pipes and water drains leading to methane escape,
• Poor handling of chemicals leading to spillage during a flood event.

And what is the significance of the Pilliga Forest ? The Pilliga sandstone is an important recharge area for the Greaty Artesian Basin, crucial to the quality and volume of water on which most of inland Australia relies.  In terms of hydrology, the surface water of the Pilliga form part of the Murray-Darling Basin, running north into the Namoi River and thence into the Barwon-Darling system. In addition the Forest is a key National Biodiversity hotspot with 24 nationally listed threatened or endangered species, an internationally recognised important bird area and the largest temperate woodland in Australia.The mining exploration phase also led to considerable environmental damage and degradation to this critical environmental region. It is for good reason that there has been continuing campaigning on this issue.

Rio + 20: two decades further in time

Twenty years ago, the United Nations organised the Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)  from 3 June to 14 June 1992 otherwise known as the 'Earth Summit' in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Rio Earth Summit was focussed on a number of critical global issues such as: patterns of production and the use of toxic substances; alternative sources of energy to reduce reliance and remove the use of fossil fuels; the use of public transport to reduce emissions and the increasing scarcity of water. The Summit also agreed on the Climate Change Convention (preceding the Kyoto Protocol) and opened the Convention on Biological Diversity for signatories of member states.

 

       In less than a month's time the UN is again bringing governments, international institutions and major groups together to seek agreement on a range of smart measures that can reduce poverty while promoting jobs, clean energy and a more sustainable and fair use of resources. The UN has initially outlined the two main themes of the Summit as: "How to build a green economy to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty, including support for developing countries that will allow them to find a green path for development; and how to improve international coordination for sustainable development".

Does the direction have a familiar sound to it ? It does, for the aims of the original Earth Summit are as relevant today as twenty years ago showing that much progress continues to lag behind actual need. In terms of reality, the Conference on Sustainable Development is a Conference on Survivability.

Putin and Power in Russia - Masha Gessen, Sydney Writers Festival May 2012

The Man Without a Face -  the mysterious rise of Vladimir Putin, in less than a decade, from low-ranking KGB nonentity to Kremlin master has been explored in detail in this book by journalist Masha Gessen. In Sydney, as a guest of the Sydney Writers Festival, Gessen presented a carefully researched, detailed analysis of the character of Putin, the impact he has on Russia and the many questions and shady elements of the Putin era. As a Russian American living in Moscow, Gessen is able to bring a focus on the way in which Putin perceives Russia and the influences and events which have shaped his perspective. His years as a KGB officer in particular left him with a sense of betrayal when 'Moscow was silent'  and the Soviet Union ended. His propensity for absolute control stems from this experience. It is always extremely hazardous to write insightful material on Putin and his associates - the last guest of the Sydney Writers Festival in May 2006 who covered Russian politics, Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, was assassinated near her apartment in Moscow only five months later - a fact not lost on those attending the session with Gessen at the Sydney Theatre. Gessen's masterful and 'brave' book, as described by 'The Guardian' newspaper in the United Kingdom, will not have endeared her to the Putin Regime (while available worldwide, the book is not sold in the Russian language and only a single bookseller in Moscow has copies in English). With Putin under pressure in Russia, his efforts to silence critics may also be curtailed.

Lock the Gate - Community Attitudes to Coal Seam Gas

Both the exploration and extraction of coal seam gas excites considerable reaction on local communities particularly farming townships and small rural settlements. Continued and vocal opposition has persisted within both the states of Queensland and New South Wales in Australia.
As one example, regional communities have joined with environmentalists to oppose unrestricted coal seam gas mining.

The 'Lock the Gate' movement is one such group and found at this link: http://lockthegate.org.au/

Around 7,000 people are reported to have rallied against coal seam gas mining in the town of Lismore and some 4,000 in Sydney outside the NSW Parliament in early May this year. This follows similar protests throughout 2011 particularly in the Illawarra region of NSW.

Illawarra protest in 2011

With the mining science so limited at this time in terms of hydrological impact and the use of fracking chemicals, the level of community alarm is both understandable and sensible. The adoption of a precautionary principle approach appears warranted if not essential for this mining method.

Coal Seam Gas Inquiry Report - NSW Parliament - May 2012

Coal seam mining in Qld

The NSW Parliament's Inquiry into Coal Seam Gas Mining in NSW released its' report this week and there are a few surprises contained in the 35 recommendations and findings in the 300 page document. While the Legislative Council committee (bipartisan in composition with members of the Liberal, Labor, Greens and other parties) did support the concept and need for coal seam mining, there was clear recognition of the absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework and the urgent need for one to be implemented. Amongst the other recommendations: conduct regional-scale water assessments in NSW as a matter of priority; no new production licences be issued until a  regulatory framework exists; the current ban on the use of 'fracking' be maintained until NICNAS (the Federal Government's chemical registration scheme) has carried out an evaluation of the chemicals used; greater legal rights and access control for landholders; stronger controls and accountability for coal seam mining companies including site remediation; the establishment of a Petroleum Ombudsman, a Complaints Hotline and greater regulatory controls for the Environmental Protection Authority and the portfolio Department.

The Inquiry was particularly critical of of the lack of genuine community engagement noting that "community consultation appears to have been inconsistent, poorly timed and restrictive,.."The Inquiry also stated "that it cannot dismiss evidence that some operators have attempted to pressure landholders for access nor the possibility that companies may force access in the future.." In a damning indictment, the Inquiry found that a previously dismissed incident of the pollution of Pilliga Forest by Eastern Star Gas was, in fact, proven correct. Coal seam gas arguably is one of the most unknown mining methods with potentially enormous risks to both the environment and access to water for the community. With drilling occuring within Sydney's own aquifer system, the implementation of this report is an urgent priority.

The full report can be found at this link: http://bit.ly/IiFlfl

Climate change fatigue - community interest wanes

New research to be released in early May 2012 from the Melbourne Business School and the University of Technology, Sydney will show that climate change is no longer listed amongst the top concerns of the general community in Australia. The survey of 1500 adults who completed questionnaires in Australia were compared against similar cohorts in parallel studies in the US, UK and Germany indicating the key concerns were food, health, crime and safety and access to public services. This reflects a major change from surveys in 2007 when industrial pollution, renewable energy, climate change and environmental sustainability were ranked at the top of global issues. The survey shows that the focus for most people has returned to the regular concerns and issues which routinely rank in opinion polling. Of particular interest is the disengagement with party politics which correlates to climate change fatigue - after the carbon tax and ETS debate, Australians wish to simply get on with their lives.

Coal Seam Gas and water impact

Condomine River - water contamination has been detected at this site

One of the key concerns with Coal Seam Gas (CSG) mining is the actual or potential impact on water within and adjacent to mining regions. Extraction of methane from coal seams relies on the extraction of large quantities of water, so across the industry, it may total between approx 30 and 90 gigalitres of groundwater per year. Impacts which are broadly understood include: the likely drawdown of aquifers; depressurisation of aquifers; risk  of groundwater contamination; risk of subsidence of the surface, and salt residing in the water of coal seams being brought to the surface - estimated to be a quantity of about 1.8 million tonnes of salt per year in Queensland alone. 

Water contamination can occur in several ways - through the injection of chemicals via 'fracking'; or through chemicals that naturally exist in coal seams, being taken out and being exposed to other parts of the environment:; and potentially just from the removal of large quantities of water from aquifers or coal seams. A lateral flow of water and aquifers for example can be extremely damaging - aquifers actually differ in their water quality throughout their extent, so a lateral flow by itself can lead to changes in water quality including contamination from natural as well as introduced chemicals and substances.

Methane leaking into surrounding aquifers can occur naturally when there's a close connection between the coal seams and the surrounding aquifers but it can also occur if the wells that go from the surface down into the coal seam are not properly sealed. This has occured in a number of sites in Queensland. A similar related risk is if the fracturing of a coal seam extends out of the initial mining zone, such as into the surrounding geological strata. This type of event has occured in the United States with detrimental outcomes. The geological and engineering science of coal seam gas extraction remains full of serious gaps of knowledge - protection of water quality is arguably the highest priority.