bond goes on the attack

Bond goes on the attack over claims of environmental harm
JOHN MCCARTHY
THE COURIER-MAIL
APRIL 20, 2014 6:39PM

Linc Energy CEO Peter Bond Source: Supplied
LINC Energy has launched an attack of Queensland public servants and the State Government accusing it of running an agenda against the company and not having the knowledge to understand the complex technology in its controversial gas project.

Linc has operated a trial underground coal gasification project near Chinchilla that has been dogged by legal action from the State Government.

It all came to a head last week when the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection brought charges against the company for causing serious environmental harm, an action managing director Peter Bond said was like issuing divorce papers on the company.

“My clothes are on the driveway,’’ Mr Bond said.

He said Linc had been in dispute with the Government for years and the issues were “based on the DEHP’s lack of knowledge of UCG and their unwillingness to learn about the UCG process’’.


He also claimed the Government had picked winners and decided it wanted to move ahead with coal seam gas.

Mr Bond also claimed UCG would never be developed in Queensland but the only remaining UCG company, Carbon Energy, said it was still committed.

Chief executive Morné Engelbrecht said Carbon’s technology had been technically proven and it was now progressing approvals to commercialise its UCG technology in Queensland.

But Mr Bond said the long-running rift with the Government was originally a political issue where DEHP was involved with the CSG versus UCG dispute.

“The actions of the department has had the effect of causing great distrust and suspicion by Linc Energy and many of its stakeholders, subsequently undermining the opportunity to work in a collaborative manner,’’ Mr Bond said.

“Because of the widespread belief that the DEHP has run an agenda against the UCG industry over several years now, operating a UCG site within the State of Queensland is now viewed as a sovereign risk issue, which is why Linc Energy decided to shift all its operations except its head office out of Queensland some time ago.

“I am obviously disappointed that the department has not afforded Linc Energy the opportunity to formally respond to any allegations prior to this point in time.

While we were aware that investigations were being undertaken, we assumed that we would get the opportunity to set the record straight,” Mr Bond said.

“It is also worth noting that Linc Energy has monitored the groundwater at site to a degree that far exceeds our legal obligations under our environmental licence requirements to do so and we have always been within the licence guidelines.”

“The company does not believe it has caused environmental harm as alleged, nor have we unlawfully affected any ecosystems. All of these operations are based on land that Linc Energy owns and has utilised for UCG research and development for over 15 years”, he said.

“As a show of good faith to our community and neighbours Linc Energy will publish the past few years of water sampling data on our website, which clearly shows there is no water quality issues at all for them to be concerned about and puts these allegations into context of essentially being a difference of opinion.”

Linc Energy will continue to develop and expand UCG and thus create the world’s next energy platform for countries like China, Poland, Ukraine, South Africa and many more who need cheap clean gas production from stranded unutilised coal resources they already have in their national backyards.

The company completed its research and development program at Chinchilla in late 2013 and is in the process of decommissioning the site.