Federal independents and Greens call for CSG halt and water studies; fracking is the ‘likely cause’ of earthquakes in the UK; UNESCO concerned that the Federal and Queensland government have breached World Heritage guidelines; energy analyst attacks industry and regulators for failing to conduct independent regional modelling of the groundwater impacts. Links to full articles and to the fracking song.
November 2, 2011 - 8:18AM
All coal seam gas projects should be halted while a scientific investigation of their impact on farm land is carried out key independent MP Tony Windsor says.
Mr Windsor is refusing to back the government's planned new mining tax unless it agrees to hundreds of millions of dollars for bi-regional studies.
He also is demanding greater Commonwealth powers to override project approvals, now the domain of states and territories.
Greens tackle coal seam gas impacts
November 2, 2011 – Sydney Morning Herald - Tony Moore
The Greens yesterday tabled a bill in federal parliament which would let the federal government judge the impact of coal seam gas mines on water.
The proposed amendment would allow the federal environment minister to consider the impact on water resources of any mining activity, including coal seam gas mines.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/greens-tackle-coal-seam-gas-impacts-20111101-1mu1j.html#ixzz1cVXaLt9Q
Fracking tests near Blackpool 'likely cause' of tremors
2 November 2011 - BBC
It is "highly probable" that shale gas test drilling triggered earth tremors in Lancashire UK
New battlefront opens up in gas debate
October 31, 2011 – Sydney Morning Herald - Tracey Ferrier
The battle to protect Australia
Some farmers are locking mining companies off their land in gas-rich parts of the country, amid deep concern over the potential effects of coal seam gas mining on underground water stores.
In an extraordinary rebuke, the United Nations' environmental arm, UNESCO, said the government had failed to tell it about approvals for three gas processing plants being built on Curtis Island off Gladstone , the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef .
UNESCO said the government's failure was a breach of World Heritage guidelines and expressed extreme concern about the federal and Queensland
The projects, it said, could affect the "overall universal value" of the reef and in light of the potential threat, UNESCO will soon dispatch what it calls a reactive monitoring mission to scrutinise conservation efforts.
Energy analyst turns up heat on new gas projects
October 28, 2011 – Sydney Morning Herald - Paddy Manning
Senior energy analyst Gundi Royle broke ranks with her colleagues, attacking industry and regulators for failing to conduct independent regional modelling of the groundwater impacts of up to $80 billion in planned coal seam gas (CSG) development, mostly in Queensland
As an analyst, Royle has previously raised these concerns in her private notes to banking clients. She says she is prepared to come under pressure for speaking out against the industry. Other analysts face potential conflicts of interest, she says, where their firms raise capital for the coal seam gas companies.
The state and federal governments are focused on the revenue from the four CSG-to-LNG projects, she says.
This is a very large investment that needs to be fed,'' she says. ''Once they get going they're very cash-rich but they need to march on, to feed the LNG manufacturing plants. The industry will just roll over the country. It's too late to stop them now, in my view.
My Water's On Fire Tonight (The Fracking Song)
I think the problem when it comes to such issues is always the same, where we focus: the economy or regional security.
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