cougar endangered by inadequate data

Herewith, is the latest installment from the South Burnett Times dated today 16th, Novemeber 2010, page 3.

COUGAR ENDANGERED BY INADEQUATE DATA

A visit from government officals has only confirmed what the Kingaroy Concerned Citizens Group already knew about Cougar Energy's underground coal gasification (UCG) project at Coolabunia.

On Thursday Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) officers met with the group to discuss the company's Environmental Evaluation Report. Secretary John Dalton said they were unimpressed with its explanation.

"There are three reports from Cougar and we can see why the government rejected the first one," Mr Dalton said.

"it explained nothing and there is a real absence of scientific data."

Mr Dalton said the reports detailed several theories about why traces of benzene and toluene were detected in groundwater supplies in and surrounding the plant but they were "so lacking in substance" they were laughable.

"it was seen as an indication that Cougar Energy seriously under estimates the scientific standards expected by DERM and the general public," he said.

"And my own part was to quiz why the hell atmospheric contamination wasn't explored because it could have occurred during the four day burn when the head of the bore casing ruptured, and gases may have escaped untreated.

"But no one thought to test it."

He said the group is now certain the project can't continue because the company didn't report the contamination immediately and hasn't explained why the contamination occurred.

"If it doesn't get canned the government are going to be in town for three months explaining why," he said.

ENDS


There is also a large photograph & below it reads:-

LOTS TO DISCUSS: Kingaroy Concerned Citizens Group members and Nanango MP Dorothy Pratt met with government officials to discuss Cougar Energy's Environmental Evaluation Reports on Thursday.

ENDS


So what do you make of that guys given the information I posted under "not a level playing field"? Did any of the CSG companies adequately explain the contamination in their wells? Were you able to locate any exceedences by those companies on the DERM website? Did DERM mention anything at all about the contamination by those companies on their site?

If you answered in the affirmative to any of those questions I would appreciate you're input, thanks.