derm

Hi guys

I have sent two emails off to DERM in the past two days but at this point in time they have not acknowledged either. I wonder about my chances of getting a response.

The use of SUMP OIL i.e, (BTEX) appears to be quite widespread in this area to prevent white ants from attacking timber fence posts, stays, rails, yards & retaining walls etc. So last week I decided to do some investigating. On one road I counted 6 properties where it appears sump oil has been painted on fence posts, stays & rails. I also saw a retaining wall which also appeared to have been painted with sump oil. Do I see a few raised eyebrows?

When I saw Bob Stephens letter in the South Burnett Times last week & in particular the paragraph where he said quote:-

"The only cattle showing traces of benzene in Queensland are in the paddock across the road from the Cougar Energy site, and that the prevailing winds during the plant failure were from the SE, which is over that very paddock in question, and into the direction of the town of Kingaroy".

I thought why has benzene in cattle only been detected on one property near the Cougar site? Why haven't other properties been impacted as land holdings in this area are really quite small, is there some other cause, hence my investigations.

As a result I emailed DERM yesterday & followed up with the following email this morning.

It reads.



Attn; Mr John Bradley

Herewith, is the full text of a letter from last Friday's South Burnett Times 21st January 2011. Would you be so kind as to report of the accuracy of the information contained therein.Yesterday I forwarded just one paragraph for comment.


South Burnett Times Friday 21st January 2011 - page 2 - YOUR SAY

"COUGAR URGED TO CHECK FACTS

I refer to the letter from Mr Brad Glynne from Cougar Energy which appeared in the SBT on January 4th 2011.

Mr Glynne says that there has not been any detection of BTEX chemicals in any of the landholder bores in a radius of two kilometre of the Cougar Energy site.

Mr Glynnes' claim is only true if you discount Tarong Energy (and the people of Queensland) as the landholder of the Cougar Energy site.

He seems to assume that contamination on the Cougar Energy site itself is not within a two kilometre radius of the plant, or that Tarong Energy is not a landowner in the true sense of the word.

The detection of BTEX chemicals at or above the allowable limits has occurred from the time of the operational failure of the process in March/April 2010, until today.

On January 7, Cougar Energy announced that benzene was still being detected in one of its new bores some distance from the gasification chamber and in the upper (60m aquifer that feeds the local landholder bores in the area.

This despite 1000 mm rain having fallen since the trial was stopped, that nine months has elapsed for the volatile
substance to dissipate, only a tiny trial was completed, and above 200m of soil separates the bore from the
gasification chamber.

The "pollute, dilute and hope-like-hell' technology seems to be failing Cougar Energy.

Since Mr Glynne is interested in correcting misleading statements, I would be pleased if he could check and confirm the following facts in the SBT next week:

. Cougar's submission to DERM suggests that the plant failure was most likely caused by an underground explosion
or a cave-in of the gasification chamber soon after ignition, which caused a sudden influx of water onto the hot burning coal, and a massive jump in pressure caused by the steam.

. This source of energy caused bore casing to lift out of the ground a couple of times: for cement to fail and finish up in unexpected places; for pipe works above the ground to fail; and for benzene and toluene (both carcinogenic chemicals) to escape into bores 260m from the gasification chamber.

. The only cattle showing traces of benzene in Queensland are in the paddock across the road from the Cougar Energy site, and that the prevailing winds during the plant failure were fron the SE, which is over that very paddock in question, and into the direction of the town of Kingaroy.

You have not published any plan on how you plan to rehabilitate the underground aquifers on the Cougar Energy site.

The Queensland Government will most likely look at the volume of tangible scientific evidence that this failed UCG trial has generated and conclude that it made a big mistake in approving it in the first place, and that ending it permanently will relieve the Government of its embarrassment and the local community of its number one source of anxiety.

BOB STEPHENS
Kingaroy"

ENDS



I would very much appreciate your comments on the contents of the above letter, e.g, was there an explosion?

Additionally, if one can believe the claim that the property across the road from Cougar Energy site had the only cattle in Queensland to exhibit benzene in their body fat, then why weren't cattle on neighbouring properties impacted as well? That sounds a little odd to me & it goes back to my question yesterday as to whether this property owner may have used SUMP OIL (BTEX) on fence posts, yards, rails, stays etc to prevent white ant damage. Also where is his/her fuel storage tank in relation to the water bore & cattle trough/s? It is possible there has been a spillage when filling the storage tank or from spillages when re-fuelling farm cars, trucks, tractors or other machinery?

In addition to the above I have been researching "BURNING MOUNTAIN" near Wingen in Northern New South Wales,
which is a coal seam burning underground & it just happens to be a tourist attraction.

Shouldn't it be:-

. contaminating water aquifers in the area?

. emitting benzene into the air? thus

. impacting on human health of people living on farms & in the township of Wingen?

. contaminating tank, dam & stream water

. building up in body fat in stock & native animals in the vicinity?

. if emissions are so harmful why is it a tourist attraction?

Are you aware if there has been any water sampling in the area & what are those results. Also has there been any
reported cases of Benzene in body fat in animals in the area surrounding Burning Mountain.

Many thanks in anticipation

ENDS


The coal seam at burning mountain has reportedly been burning for 5,500 years. That being the case one would think that contamination would be widespread. I did a quick google search but found no reference to benzene in cattle in the area. Do you find that rather strange? One must ask, why not, as the smoke & ash would be drifting many miles dependant on the winds? After 5,500 years of burning one would imagine that a vast area would be contaminated & that tourists would not be allowed near the area.

Food for thought!