Many councils across NSW both rural and metropolitan are opposed to csg mining and have put motions against it. In fact on May 1 thousands from all over NSW will march on parliament to protest the way csg companies have been disregarding their rights and poisoning their land while the state government gives them a free hand.
This mining poses threats to our water, soil, food, air, infrastructure and climate.
Megalitres of fresh water (which we cannot afford to waste in this drought stricken country) laced with carcinogenic chemicals and heavy metals are blasted down wells causing the substructure to crack and release methane which is a greenhouse gas. This methane is captured for the production of energy tho surface leaks often occur.
These injected chemicals can leak into the water table through the pipes and up to the surface over time and consequently poison the water and soil.
More toxic chemicals (including radioactive chemicals) are released in the process of blasting and are brought to the surface. What is created is known as produced water. As there is no way to deal with this water, it is left to fester in evaporation ponds. Overseas the produced water has been reinjected down the wells. This reinjection of produced water in the US and UK has been proven to cause tremors and earthquakes.
Dart Energy, a csg drilling company has been given a licence which covers the whole of the sydney basin which includes Waverley LGA. Experience overseas of this mining shows it to be a polluting and destructive industry in so many ways.
There needs to be a moratorium put on this mining until proper research can be done and recommendations made to ensure that coal seam gas mining is carried out in a safe manner.