News
News Interview: John Anderson, former chairman, Eastern Star Gas
23-Feb-2012
Catherine Clifford (ABC)
In this extended interview with ABC News reporter, Catherine Clifford, Mullaley farmer and former chairman of Eastern Star Gas, John Anderson, says claims by environmentalists of toxicity and damage in the Pilliga state Forest have been wildly exaggerated. He says he has always had a strong commitment to the environment and when he was a Minister in the Howard government he did everything he could to protect water. John Anderson says many of the allegations levelled against Eastern Star Gas's conduct do not take into account the reporting requirements set down in the company's licence conditions.
Prior operator polluted Pilliga coal seam site, says Santos
23-Feb-2012
Ben Cubby, Saffron Howden (SMH)
THE coal seam gas company Santos has admitted more than a dozen instances of pollution occurred at drilling sites in the Pilliga woodland in north-west NSW, many of them not reported to the government in an apparent breach of environmental monitoring rules.
A damning report released by the company found that the site's previous operator, Eastern Star Gas, had made serial breaches of environmental rules in contradiction of many of its public statements about environmental protection.
It identified 16 spills or leaks of contaminated water in addition to the four it had already acknowledged, and recorded work practices riddled with errors and casual mistakes.
Events
UNESCO Monitoring Mission
Tuesday 06-Mar-12 8:00 am
UNESCO Tour inspecting the Great Barrier Reef and Gladstone Harbour 6th March - 14th March
Media Releases
Lock the Gate calls for action against coal seam gas polluter
23-Feb-2012
Drew Hutton
The Lock the Gate Alliance is calling on the New South Wales government to take action against the directors of the coal seam gas company, Eastern Star Gas, in the aftermath of a report by its new owner, Santos.
Lock the Gate Alliance president, Drew Hutton, said former deputy-prime minister, John Anderson, and the other directors of ESG should be held accountable for the 20 environmental incidents relating to waste management problems, over-clearing of bushland at up to 39 well sites, kangaroo deaths in water ponds, and high levels of salt in water discharged into creeks.
Undermining Our Foodbowl - Tim Duddy
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.
Our land, our water, contaminated by CSG
Date: Thursday 09 February, 2012 12:07
By: 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."
Mr. Hutton continued "The results are incredibly disturbing. SANTOS reported that these areas were contaminated by a spill that occurred over 6 months ago, and have been blaming the spill and the subsequent cover up on the previous operator, Eastern Star Gas, while conveniently forgetting that at the time they owned a 20% stake in ESG. But over that 6 months the region has had over 600mm of rain, so these results must be incredibly diluted and a pale shadow of the initial impact."
"Arsenic was found at twice the Australian drinking water guidelines, chromium at almost 4 times the level, lead - 5 times, nickel - 8 times. These are compared to levels that are considered safe for humans to drink, but that is only part of the story. Copper - used extensively in testing as it is highly toxic to invertebrates, was found at levels 136 times the Aquatic Ecosystem Guidelines."
"What were the initial concentrations of toxins in the ‘spill'? Why does the public have to rely on environmental groups to get testing done? This is the Government's job, and until the government has the resources to safeguard the people, the ecosystems and the water of Australia, they should shut this industry down. How many times do accidents have to happen before the government realises that the CSG companies do not have the best interests of Australia at heart?" He continues.
Jacinta Green, Vice President of Lock The Gate Alliance, who recently visited the Pilliga said "What has happened in the Pilliga is a disgrace, pilot production should never be allowed, anywhere, under an exploration licence. Companies should no longer be able to get away with saying ‘but it's just exploration' - 90% of the population of NSW is covered by an exploration licence. This is why ALL CSG activities need to be halted until a Royal Commission investigates all the impacts of CSG."
The LOCK THE GATE Alliance is a national alliance of over 120 community, industry and environmental groups and over 1000 supporters concerned with the devastating impact that certain inadequately assessed and inadequately-regulated fossil fuel extraction industries are having on our short and long term physical, social, environmental and economic wellbeing. We are particularly concerned with the damage caused by the coal and coal seam gas (CSG) mining industries.
We believe that neither we, nor our governments (at all levels), are sufficiently well informed about these industries, about their true role in our economy and their impact on our health and welfare as a nation and within the diverse communities that constitute our nation. We are concerned that the short-term greed associated with these industries (including that of governments through royalties and other returns) is compromising the welfare of future generations of Australians and our future ability to thrive in a new world driven by renewable energy sources.
We believe that the interaction of these industries with our governments and the extreme imbalance between the way their rights are measured against the rights of others in the community is indicative of a system that is no longer working for all Australians and that has lost a moral and ethical compass.
Our mission is to hold our governments to account for past decisions regarding the operation of destructive fossil fuel industries and ensure that future decisions incorporate the rights of current and future generations of Australians to sustain their communities, pursue their livelihoods, enjoy and realise the potential of their assets (natural, cultural and economic) and operate within a healthy natural environment. In doing so, we wish to encourage our vision of a model of government decision-making that is properly informed, inclusive, far-sighted and morally and ethically based.
