benzene and toluene in csg drainage water

Blinkered Bligh?

I am filthy over the hypocrisy of Anna Bligh and the Qld Labor Government and associated Departments ... 2 mins googling "benzene in coal seam gas drainage water" shows DERM should be even handed and shut down all CSG projects in Qld pending investigation and review by a panel of experts on drainage water and benzene.

In the article and quote below benzene is introduced via the very common practice of hydraulic fracturing ... I'll keep looking as I am sure benzene and toluene will also be present naturally in some coals.

Contaminant pathways from coal seam gas drainage water is very direct and very obvious as it is brought to the surface in millions of litres.

Contaminant pathways for UCG is not obvious and not direct as the water remains 300m underground only in the immediate vincinity of a burn cell ... ten yrs of monitoring at Chinchilla has apparently not identified any contaminant migration.

From

http://www.ccag.org.au/images/stories/pdfs/aust_csm_report.pdf


Hydraulic fracturing fluids include toxic and carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene, surfactants, potassium chloride (Nikorama, 2007), ammonium chloride, potassium hydroxide and zirconium sulphate (U.S. Department of the Interior, 1998). The chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing include toxicants affecting skin, sensory, respiratory organs, gastrointestinal tracts, liver, kidney, cardiovascular systems blood and neurotoxins (Colborn, 2008).


Approximately 92% of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing negatively impact the health of residents and wildlife alike (Colborn, 2008). Hydraulic fracturing also uses diesel as a dissolving agent due to its comparatively high carrying capacity (Halliburton, Inc., 2002). The use of diesel in hydraulic fracturing introduces numerous
contaminants such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (Irwin, 1997).

These compounds pose health issues such as liver problems, nervous system problems, kidney and eye related health issues, anaemia, temporal nervous system disorders and immune system depression (US EPA, 2006). As CSM demands
more land in order to meet the same production rates as alternative methods of power production, more land would be disturbed, also making the budget for compensation to be stretched over more recipients.

Cheers
Dex