mp accused of coal plant misinformation

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/22/3072544.htm

By Sam Burgess

Posted 23 minutes ago

* Map: Kingaroy 4610

Cougar Energy has accused Queensland independent MP Dorothy Pratt of spreading false information about its Kingaroy underground coal gasification plant in the state's southern inland.

Company spokesman Brad Glynne says an edition of the Nanango MPs newsletter exaggerates the number of times dangerous levels of chemicals have been found at the plant.

He says a time line used in the newsletter is also misleading.

"The time line seems to suggest that we have had a number of exceedences of the Australian drinking water guidelines which is incorrect - we only had two," he said.

"They were transitory they were of a short-term nature and have now gone away.

"There are no exceedences on the site and that's also been confirmed by the Department of Environment and Resource Management's (DERM) own water testing as well."

But Ms Pratt says the information came from DERM and she is standing by it.

In a statement, DERM agrees the time line was substantially accurate, although it says one exceedence shown was later found to be the result of lab error.

"They have taken exception to the word 'exceedence', which I have used, but the Government has said that the information was correct as of that time, so I'm really not sure what their issue is," Ms Pratt said.