Authorities relax cattle restrictions after water contamination...

Authorities relax cattle restrictions after water contamination scare

By Fidelis Rego and Sam Burgess

Updated Thu Jul 22, 2010 9:51am AEST
The Kingaroy plant of Cougar Energy


Biosecurity Queensland (BQ) has relaxed guidelines for producers with stock near a controversial underground coal gasification (UCG) project in the South Burnett region.

The safety of UCG has been raised after low levels of two toxins, benzene and toluene, were found in bore water supplies at Cougar Energy's pilot project near Kingaroy last week.

Authorities suspended the Cougar Energy project last week.

BQ chief veterinary officer Ron Glanville says it is now safe for cattle to be sent to slaughter 48 hours after they have drunk water from bores near the site.

"The levels that we're seeing in the water are quite low and are often the sorts of levels that you might see in the environment anyway," he said.

"People would certainly be picking up far more - say, if you look at benzene - they'd be picking up far more just through passive smoking than they ever would through this water.

"The levels that we're seeing so far are pretty low anyway and further advice we give to people is that if there's benzene or toluene in water, it will evaporate very quickly if it's exposed to the atmosphere.

"For example if people are pumping the water into a tank, that water will be fine for stock after about 24 hours."

Plant plan

Meanwhile, another company says it is keen to push ahead with its plan to establish an underground coal gasification plant in the South Burnett.

Red River Resources plans to open a plant at nearby Taabinga when the Government-ordered trial phase ends in 2013.

Managing director John Karajas acknowledges locals' fears about water safety, but says UCG has a relatively minor environmental impact compared to other technologies.

"In the overall scheme of things, underground coal gasification does represent a relatively benign solution environmentally to issues of particulate emissions from coal-burning," he said.