Local gas exploration sites as published on http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/317834/20100205-REF-PEL445-wells-BexHill2,-Geneva4,-Keerrongt1,-Peacock2,-Tunglebung1.pdf.

A rare alliance of farmers and environmentalists looks set to succeed in its push for tougher regulation of the controversial process of fracking, which has recently come to the Northern Rivers, where domestic and foreign-owned companies hold widespread rights to explore for gas.

Fracking, or Fracking, involves high pressure pumping of potentially toxic chemicals down wells to fracture rocks and release gas in coal seams or other reserves.

It has raised serious concerns through documentaries such as Gasland, and a recent ABC TV Four Corners investigative report. According to its opponents, the process poisons water tables and leaves damaged ecosystems in its wake.

The New South Wales Farmers Federation’s vice-president Fiona Simson told The Echo her group has ‘huge concerns’ about the ‘inexact science’ of fracking, and potential contamination from the chemicals involved, which aren’t registered for use in underground water systems.

The state Minister for North Coast Don Page told The Echo the new government would ‘immediately implement a tougher process, taking a precautionary approach’ which would retrospectively apply to existing exploration licences, and use ‘much greater caution’ in granting new ones. 

The demand for a moratorium however, being pushed by farmers, environmentalists, The Greens, Rous Water, and the Lock the Gate alliance, appears to remain unmet.

Active local gas mines

Several gas companies are active in the region, including the foreign owned Arrow, which has a licence to explore, and potentially use fracking, across more than 10, 000 square kilometres from west of the mountains, through Byron and down to Evans Head (see map above).

The industry lists 45 chemicals that may be used in fracking, which it argues is ‘tightly regulated and safe’. 

However the National Toxics Network says only two of the most commonly used chemicals have been assessed by the national regulator, and government agencies are raising serious questions about potential environmental impacts.

In December the National Water Commissioner warned while the coal seam gas industry brought economic opportunities, without adequate regulation it posed risks of  ‘significant, long-term and adverse impacts on surface and groundwater systems’, adding that cumulative effects were ‘not well understood.’

In September, a draft report prepared by the federal environment department on major projects in Queensland outlined ‘significant concerns’ about ‘the inability of proponents to accurately quantify their individual and collective impacts’ from projects that could run for 30 years.

‘Significant impacts’

That report warned the projects were ‘likely to have a significant impact’ on threatened native species, and expressed grave concerns about effects on water pressure and chemistry, the time for water systems to recover, the volume of salt and heavy metals in waste, and land subsidence.

Exploration wells

The foreign-owned Arrow Energy has so far drilled 15 exploration wells in this region, including at nearby Bexhill, and vice-president Tony Knight says fracking will likely be used at wells selected for pilot drilling, possibly as early as next year.  

Arrow’s own assessment of environmental impacts states ‘oil-based and synthetic-base drilling fluids will not be used’.

However when required ‘some additives’ may be used which are ‘generally either natural or environmentally friendly/biodegradable and classified as low or medium hazard.’ 

The company’s document also states neighbours may be affected by noise from drilling 12 hours a day, seven days a week for up to a month or more, and reveals drilling is occurring within several hundred metres of creeks and other water sources. 

According to the Environmental Defenders Office, mining companies have to first seek permission to explore on private property, but can, with court backing,  ultimately drill without consent of the landowner as close as 50 metres to houses and gardens. However Tony Knight says Arrow will not explore on land without the owner’s agreement, an approach echoed by other industry figures including the managing director of Clarence Moreton Resources, which is also drilling in the region. 

‘Wouldn’t use harmful chemicals’

Peter Francis says his company would ‘never go onto a site unless it had a pre-agreement with that land owner’, and that if the company had to use fracking, ‘we wouldn’t be using harmful chemicals.’

The chief financial officer of Australian owned Metgasco, Glenda McLoughlin, believes industry doesn’t need to change the nature of its practices, but rather, communicate better with the pubic.

‘We take our environmental responsibilities seriously,’ she told The Echo. 
Metgasco has many wells in the region, at one time using a nitrogen based fracking process to extract conventional rather than coal seam gas.

Ms McLoughlin said local extraction involved a lot less waste water than in Queensland, and that a lot of fracking chemicals were ‘normal household chemicals.’

Potential carcinogens

Rejecting the claim, National Toxics Network adviser Ms Marianne Lloyd-Smith said fracking can involve ‘very serious chemicals’, including potential carcinogens and others never found in the home, much of which remain in the ground after drilling occurs. 

Meanwhile in Queensland, where the industry is involved in billions of dollars worth of projects, opposition is focussed around Tara, west of Toowoomba, where a blockade of a gas pipeline is underway organised by the Lock the Gate alliance.

The NSW department of planning is accepting submissions on its proposed Coal and Gas strategy – designed in part to minimise environmental impacts – until this Friday April 15. More can be found at http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/StrategicPlanning/CoalandGasStrategy/tabi....