Activists claim a coal seam gas firm’s buy out of properties near its Queensland operation is an admission the gas is harmful.
However, the Queensland Gas Company (QGC) says it has purchased 60 properties in the Surat Basin over the past decade to build infrastructure and to minimise the impact on residents.
Lock the Gate president Drew Hutton says the firm has been ‘quietly’ buying properties from residents at Tara, west of Toowoomba, who have complained of health impacts.
‘The buy outs are a tacit admission by this foreign owned company that coal seam gas is harmful to human health,’ he said in a statement.
‘Finally QGC has admitted responsibility and bought some people out.
‘We are waiting to see if the company will do the right thing for the remaining residents who have been suffering a range of health effects from air pollution and black rain.’
A QGC spokesman says sellers approached the firm and the purchase of properties didn’t relate to health impact claims.
‘QGC sometimes purchases properties in the Surat Basin to support development of long-term infrastructure and to minimise impact on residents,’ the spokesman said.
‘These purchase decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and all the properties have been offered for sale by the sellers.’
Residents have reported nose bleeds, chronic headaches, nausea and rashes among children and adults living in the Tara residential estate.
They believe CSG mining in the area is contaminating the air and poisoning potable groundwater.
The health department last year reported a recent study could not determine whether any of the health effects reported by residents was linked to exposure to CSG activities.
From this article, the evidence for CSG health problems looks pretty thin on the ground. Just because Drew thinks it’s true doesn’t make it so. Clearly the QGC and the health department seem to see it differently.
Hutton wouldn’t have a clue what is happening out here. The reason for the latest buyouts is to get rid of the leaders of the protest groups so that QGC can move into the rural residential estates. The first rig moved into The Blocks last week without a whimper of protest.
The Black Rain Hutton mentions, and he should know this, comes from the Lerps, a scale like insect, that infest the gum trees around here. It is like the black mold you get from scale on citrus trees that aren’t looked after. They tried to make a story out of this a few months ago and Origin investigated it and proved what the locals already new, it’s natural, nothing to do with CSG. Claims like that just damage our credibility.
So nice of those kind mining companies ! bet they got them nice and cheap ! Who would want to live amongst all that crap after they’ve finished and packed their bags and gone !
Gee reading from the statements from the nice gentleman above we should all be quite safe living, breathing and drinking pollution, leaks and contaminations from the CSG industry, and that is despite the evidence and information provided by health specialists, scientists and universities, stating the contrary, I am so glad these 2 people went to university and studied for decades to be able to tell us not to worry……none so blind as them that will not see