cxy announcement - safe drinking water, page-9

It seems it took the article in Tuesday's South Burnett Times (Len directly referred to it in todays announcement) to put some fire in Len's belly & respond to the various forms of mis-representation. Well done Len.

Funny though, when I posted the article, it drew little response & no one picked up on the fact that the South Burnett Times had quoted Mr O'Sullivan as saying quote:

"Mr O'Sullivan pointed out that there was no benzene detected before the trial 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".

Yes that is correct - he said 84 PPB. That is what made me quite angry & I am sorry that it came through in my original post.

Here is the article once again in full.

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 trial 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 government 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.


After reading Len's announcement this afternoon I am completely bewildered as to why Cougar was made to shut down. I think that Len would have a lot of targets in his sights including the KCCG, various forms of the media, Politicans & Derm. How is Cougar ever going to restore it's reputation, irreparable damage has been caused. The majority of the local staff have been dismissed. Have they found alternative employment in the event Cougar is allowed to re-start it's trial burn? Will Cougar have to go through the process of advertising positions, staff selection & training again?

They have also suffered extensive unnecessary costs in having extra testing performed, providing water to farmers & word on the street says that Cougar even had to provide water tanks & water troughs to some farmers.

To rub salt further into their wounds they now have to submit their environmental evaluation report to DERM by 16th August. It will then be passed onto the Scientific experts who will visit the farmers as part to their decision making process. Just how long will they take - hmmmm perhaps 2 years & the trial period will have elapsed!!!

Also bear in mind that Cougar had only recently had new bores drilled & cased etc & they were only days away from re-ignition.

I do not stand to lose much if & when Cougar begins trading as I only have a relatively small holding atm. However, I am angry that Cougar has been persecuted so viciously because a laboratory worker has made a horrendous blunder & those in authority have over reacted.