residents confront environment minister

The KCCG is continuing its pressure on the Government to banish Cougar from Kingaroy & once again there is no comment from Len Walker there are no letters to the editor from shareholders.

It would appear that the company and shareholders are prepared to write off their hard earned cash without even a whimper. This story should infuriate shareholders however, if there are no letters from shareholders in Fridays edition of the local paper then I will not be reporting any further news. I have tried valiantly to keep you all abreast of what is happening on the local scene but I get the impression I am wasting my time.

The following article is from todays edition of the South Burnett Times (Tuesday 10th August 2010). Story by Lucinda.Ross @ southburnetttimes.com.au

HEADLINE READS

RESIDENTS CONFRONT ENVIRONMENT MINISTER

Two Coolabunia landowners walked into Parliament House on Thursday confident they could convince environment minister Kate Jones to ban Cougar Energy's underground coal gasification (UCG) project from operating again.

Damien O'Sullivan and John Dalton from the Kingaroy Concerned Citizens Action Group informed Ms Jones about residents' concerns and fears about the plant re-opening after the environmental evaluation of ground water contamination reported last month.

Mr O'Sullivan said the Kingaroy community expected to be consulted and fully briefed when companies apply for and are granted exploration Permits (EPC) and Mining Development Licences (MDL).

"That's important becauce we haven't been included in this process," he said.

"We also told her about the risks of starting the plant up again and they gave us a rundown of where the process is at."

Ms Jones told Mr O'Sullivan and Mr Dalton the Scientific Panel, appointed to review the matter, would visit Kingaroy to speak with affected residents before they made their final verdict on the impacts of UCG.

Mr O'Sullivan pointed out that there was no benzene detected before the trail in March and that no explanation had been given for the earlier reading of 84 parts per billion that was detected just after the trial burn.

There was also no governement plan in place to fix contamination to aquifers if it occurred.

Nanango MP Dorothy Pratt organised and attended the meeting as did Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) director-general John Bradley.

"They listened to us and it's all part of the path we have to take to get this thing shut down," Mr O'Sullivan said.

"We're hoping to get a positive response."

STORY ENDS

However, there is a photograph & beneath it is the following wording.

"CONCERNED CITIZENS TAKE ACTION: Nanango MP Dorothy Pratt, action group member John Dalton, environment minister Kate Jones, action group member Damien O'Sullivan and DERM director-general met on Thursday at Parliament House to discuss the recent ground water contamination in Kingaroy.