south burnett times your say

The following letter was published in the South Burnett Times Tuesday 26th April 2011, page 2 YOUR SAY.

CLEAN-UP CONFUSION

In the SBT dated April 19, 2011, there is an article concerning Cougar Energy's prospective clean-up of their contaminated site here in Kingaroy.

It was a bit unclear as to how this was to be achieved - there is talk of pumping out the contaminated water from the chamber, but nothing is said as to just where that water will be disposed of - nor was there mention of the water already collected in their dams on the site.

It seems that Cougar and the State Government are working on a rough estimate of $600,000, but nobody seems to be sure that this sum will be sufficient.

I am assuming that this money at least has been banked in a designated clean-up account and is guaranteed, but, and once more it is - but - will any deficit be met out of our taxes?

It is to be sincerely hoped this will not be so as this whole fiasco is a result of Cougar Energy self-selecting this totally inappropriate site and failing to meet its contracted expectations for their poisonous process.

Just pumping out water from the mine seems far too simplistic an answer to our problem.

There are far too many questions left unanswered.

Did Mrs Pratt's expectation that additional funds will be forthcoming from Cougar and that there should be ongoing monitoring of the site to ensure there is no further contamination and that the site has truly been rehabilitated, get taken up?

It is time the community is given certainty in this mess!

It should be remembered that we didn't ask for this, nor were we asked if we would accept it, and time has proved to us that it was all wrong for us as well.

S.H. SCOTT,
Nanango.

ENDS

I did not purchase the paper the writer referred to however I will attempt to buy it directly from the SBT office when I am next out shopping. I will then post the article here.