south burnett times your say, page-2

Hi guys

As per my earlier post, the writer of the letter titled CLEAN-UP CONFUSION referred to an article in the South Burnett Times dated the 19th April 2011. I have since purchased the paper concerned & the revelant article follows.

CLEAN-UP BILL COULD EXCEED ALLOWANCE

The Kingaroy Concerned Citizens Group (KCCG) is wondering if $600,000 is enough to clean up the contamination at Cougar Energy's underground coal gasification (UCG) site.

Minister for Environment and Resource Management Kate Jones said the figure was sufficient when she was asked about the estimated clean-up cost of the Coolabunia site on March 8 by Nanango MP Dorothy Pratt.

Ms Jones said the company had a responsibility to rehabilitate the site, which had previously recorded traces of benzene and toluene, and the government had taken $600,000 initially for potential damage, which would over the costs.

KCCG secretary John Dalton said the group was concerned the site wouldn't be throughly cleaned.

"If Cougar can't burn (coal underground) for two days without a problem, then how are they supposed to know how to clean up the site propertly?" Mr Dalton said.

"We're concerned that simply pumping water out of the ground won't be enough. We don't know what chemicals are embedded in the soil and if they can be removed."

Mr Dalton said the government should ensure the site would be continually monitored and tested after rehabilitation.

"They need to leave a bore line, or something else down there, so they can test that the water's clean afterwards," he said.

Ms Pratt said she wanted the government to put an overriding condition on Cougar Energy in case $600,000 wasn't enough.

"If that money doesn't cover it then the further costs should have to come from Cougar," Mrs Pratt said.

"I would also expect the government to monitor the site for a period of time to unsure there's no further contamination."