“Puncturing and draining multiple aquifers with thousands of Coal Seam Gas wells will obviously have an effect, and should not be in a rush for short-term profits.” – Jeremy Buckingham
About the Bill
Jeremy Buckingham, the Greens mining spokesperson has introduced a bill into the Legislative Council for a moratorium on Coal Seam Gas (CSG) development across NSW and to specifically prohibit CSG development within the Sydney Metropolitan Area and within protected drinking water catchments.
“The Greens Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011 is an important first step to allow a thorough investigation of this industry, which has a track record in Australia and overseas of polluting water, draining aquifers, displacing agriculture and destroying bushland.”
This bill if made law will achieve two key objectives:
- Create a moratorium on new CSG exploration and production across NSW for a period of 12 months.
- Prohibit CSG development within the Sydney Metropolitan Area and the Special Catchment Areas that protect the drinking water supplies.
This industry has neither been proven safe nor has a social license to operate in our community. Experience in Queensland and overseas has shown that coal seam gas (CSG) presents a significant risk to water supplies and is damaging agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands.
Coal Seam Gas Moratorium Bill 2011_Briefing Note
Coal Seam Gas Mining – The Risks
1. Waste water: Millions of litres of saline, chemical laden waste water are produced to obtain the gas. Industry has failed to demonstrate this water can be safely managed.
2. Depletion of aquifers: The extraction of water from the coal seam may result in loss from fresh water aquifers.
3. Release of ‘fracking’ chemicals: Fracking can link saline and fresh water aquifers causing cross contamination and allow fracking chemicals and gas into drinking water.
4. CSG is not clean energy: The claims by industry of coal seam gas being a clean, low emission technology are not supported by science. Fugitive emissions from the gas extraction may make it as polluting as coal.
5. Land impacts: The surface infrastructure required for a CSG field destroys large areas of agriculture and environmentally sensitive land.
