Excellent work, particularly to get it published.To add to a few...

Excellent work, particularly to get it published.

To add to a few points (which I will follow up with a letter to the editor if that function is available):

1. Qld has been a net interstate exporter of electricity for the past 5yrs or so and has derived considerable revenue from it.

2. Because of massive state development plans already in place for Qld, the state will move into electricity deficit within about two years, and within 5-6 yrs will need to import 30-40% of its electricity needs. From where you may ask, because it surely wont be from NSW or VIC where electricity generation industries are in even more dire circumstances.

3. The lab error was found out and reported in writing to DERM together with correspondence from the laboratory invloved BEFORE DERM moved to suspend Cougar's activities in the first circumstance ... can you believe that???

Electricity generation from gas (as in UCG and CSG) offers straight up 30-40% CO2 reductions compared to current coal fired electricity generation. Australia's global commitment to CO2 reduction could probably be met with just a program to convert to 100% gas generated electricity over a 30 yr period.

On just the above basis, UCG and CSG have compelling environmental advantages over coal. Also, both completely eliminate major stack emissions like particulates and acid.

In the case of UCG compared to CSG, there are the added advantages of 1/15th the physical footprint required to operate for the same energy output and most importantly groundwater is not pumped from coal seams.

Who in the CSG industry can put their hands on their heart and say that dewatering coal seams from an estimated 30,000-40,000 wells over the next 30 years will not present surface issues with saline water disposal, will not cause damage so some overlying productive aquifers and will not in any way affect recharge to the Great Artesian Basin? These wells will extend along a 1500 km belt from the NSW boarder to Townsville.

My opinion is that Qld and Australia doesn't have the luxury of saying no to studies looking into viable clean coal technologies.

Dex