Anti-gas activists are concerned that waste water from AGL’s Gloucester gas mines is being transported through the northern rivers region.
Kyogle Group Against Gas spokesperson Harmony Walsh said there were three tanker movements each week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Ms Walsh said the group was concerned that the volume and future transportation would increase because AGL was planning a much bigger gasfield than the current four wells.
She said the transport company, Toxfree, also did not appear to be displaying the proper waste hazard signage.
‘If there is a spill how are emergency vehicles and other motorists meant to know the nature of the cargo?’ Ms Walsh said.
Kyogle GAG and other local groups have written to the management of Toxfree to express their displeasure.
‘The transportation of mining waste approximately 670km in an unmarked tanker with a brand misnomer is neither safe, sustainable nor reliable,’ Ms Walsh said.
‘The Pacific Highway is a very dangerous road with accidents occurring on a daily basis.’
She said letters were handed to the tanker driver when he stopped for a break at Woodburn. He was not aware that he was travelling through a declared Gasfield Free Community.
Kyogle GAG member Johanna Evans said the waste water from AGL’s Gloucester wells had been rejected by several NSW contractors because they did not have the facilities to deal with it.
She said Toxfree had been contracted to transport the waste all the way to Narangba in Brisbane.
‘AGL plan another 110 wells in Stage 1 of their project. This will make for a huge volume of toxic flowback and produced water travelling along the Pacific Highway for hundreds of kilometres through our Gasfield free communities until AGL build their own reverse osmosis and desalination plant,’ Ms Evans said.
‘We are not happy with this arrangement, it is dangerous and unfeasible and gas companies and related contractors have no social licence to operate in this area.’
‘Kyogle GAG calls on Toxfree to take a safer route if they are to continue with the unsustainable practice of removing AGL’s mining waste and avoid the busy Pacific Highway, particularly as they travel through the area around finishing time of the many local schools,’ she said.
Trucks carrying hazardous material should always be labelled, whether they are on a highway or not. And companies that are in this kind of work, should have their own kind of water filtration system before being able to operate. Nearly all of the companies such as this one have a reverse osmosis system in place before they even start the work. They should have to stop production until this issue is resolved.
Sorry to all you saddened people, but if the tank doesn’t have Emergency Information Panels on each side and the rear, it’s not prescribed industrial waste or dangerous goods. You just saw the prefix “Tox” from Toxfree and presumed it was toxic. I could assure you a big company like Toxfree wouldn’t risk moving PIW or DGs without EIPs. Not worth the fines, lose of DG and EPA accreditation etc if they were caught.
I find it very concerning that CSG mining waste is being transported such a long distance – all the way to Queensland from Gloucester… – If this waste is non-hazardous then why will no companies from down that way accept it? It seems to me that Toxfree’s brand is compromised. Please have a look at this youtube involving this company. They are heavily involved in recycling toxic mining waste.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PpmF2Z3kfk&feature=youtu.be