ten reasons why kingaroy should continue

Dear Supporters of Cougar Energy,

I know alot of this information is already known by concerned posters and has been reinforced before on HC, however this report is very succinct and in lay man's terms. Any Journalist could understand this. Good luck and get this information disseminated ASAP.

TEN Reasons why Cougar Energy?s Kingaroy project should not be stopped

1. The underground water (aquifer) in which Cougar Energy is operating, cannot be used for human consumption (due to high salinity and high heavy metals). At best, it can only be used for stock watering purposes. Hence, the statement that Cougar Energy received samples containing 2ppb of Benzene, which is above the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines of 1ppb Benzene, is completely irrelevant.
References
? 27 Sep 2010.pdf (pp2)

2. A number of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) companies including Arrow Energy and Origin Energy have reported at least 2ppb of benzene in their operations with no action from the QLD government. The maximum amount experienced by Cougar Energy was 2ppb, which was transient in nature and in no way indicated an ongoing trend of detection. There is a blatant display of favoratism towards CBM by the QLD government.

References
? http://www.arrowenergy.com.au/icms_docs/82772_Notification_of_Results_Media_Release.pdf
? http://www.arrowenergy.com.au/icms_docs/83290_Arrow_Secondary_Results_Notification.pdf
? http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/another-coal-seam-gas-chemical-scare-20101109-17kz5.html
? http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/origin-stops-coal-seam-gas-drilling-after-chemicals-found-in-water-20101020-16ud7.html
? http://www.smh.com.au/environment/toxins-found-at-third-site-as-fracking-fears-build-20101118-17zfv.html
? http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/Tests-confirm-carcinogen-aap-2894657541.html?x=0
? http://www.gabpg.org.au/good-word-for-gas-company
? http://www.gabpg.org.au/mines-discharge-polluted-water
? http://www.gabpg.org.au/jp-morgan-report-raises-concerns-over-coal-seam-gas-industry

3. Such minute levels (2ppb) of Benzene can be naturally occurring within coal seams and the underground environment. Additionally, these levels could also be obtained through contact with petrol, diesel, lubricants or cigarettes. It is worth noting that the reasonable limit of detection is 1ppb which makes it absurd that the drinking water guideline is also 1ppb. Please note below, the following limits placed on Benzene in the Drinking water guidelines of other jurisdictions :
World Health Organisation Guidelines ? 10ppb (0.01mg/l)
New Zealand Drinking Water Guidelines - 10ppb (0.01mg/l)
South African Drinking Water Guidelines - 10ppb (0.01mg/l)
US Drinking Water Guidelines ? 5ppb (0.005mg/l)
Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines - 5ppb (0.005mg/l)
UK Drinking Water Guidelines ? 1ppb (0.001mg/l)
Australian Drinking Water Guidelines ? 1ppb (0.001mg/l)

4. The successful Chinchilla trial, conducted from 1999 to 2003 was undertaken by Dr Len Walker, utilising the same technology provider, Ergo Exergy of Canada, that Cougar Energy is using at Kingaroy. The Chinchilla trial reported no adverse environmental impact and was operated with extensive environmental oversight by the QLD government?s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (now superseded by DERM). The same Ergo Exergy personnel as designed and operated the Chinchilla trial, are providing the technology for the Kingaroy trial.

5. Cougar Energy?s Technology provider, Ergo Exergy Technologies Inc. of Canada is the undisputed world leader in underground coal gasification (UCG). It was Ergo Exergy?s design and operation of the Chinchilla trial from 1999 to 2003 that put UCG on the map in the western world. Some of Ergo Exergy?s key personnel individually bring over 50 years of practical, real-world commercial UCG experience to Cougar Energy?s disposal. Ergo Exergy has designed and currently operates a long list of the most successful and advanced UCG projects around the world, including in Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, US and Australia. Many other projects are in development around the world based on Ergo Exergy?s PROVEN, COMMERCIAL technology.

References
www.ergoexergy.com

6. It is generally accepted that fully renewable energies such as solar and wind are not commercially ready to provide the full commercial demand for energy, which is growing exponentially around the world. Most governments (and climate change proponents) agree that cleaner use of traditional fossil fuels is required to provide for the growing energy demand whilst also decreasing CO2 emissions. Ross Garnauts recent papers and speeches back this up in specific terms of the Australian situation. UCG represents the most economical and efficient ?clean coal? technology and as such, is being accepted and promoted in just about every political jurisdiction in the world.

7. Kingaroy, has for the past 30yrs been established as a mining town due to the immediate physical proximity of the Tarong Power Station and supporting Meandu open cast coal mine. Such energy industry is not new to the area, and without it, the regional development of the area would be severely compromised. The strategic energy hub that this area creates is of far more importance than the limited ?hobbie? farming which is conducted in the area.

8. QLD is currently not building enough new power stations to meet the continually growing demand and is fast approaching a situation where demand will outstrip supply and electricity prices for all Queenslanders will go through the roof and/or mandatory rolling blackouts will be implemented. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that the coal fired Tarong power station, which provides approximately 30% of QLD?s power, has passed its design life of 30 years. Although its owners, the QLD government, have found enough expensive coal to keep it running for the next 5 years or so, impending Federal carbon legislation may prevent a new coal mine from being developed to supply the power station with fuel in the long term. Should this power station, which has one of the biggest CO2 footprints in Australia, be decommissioned, there is no plan for replacement of that significant supply of power. UCG could offer a cleaner fuel solution for the power station which would considerably reduce its CO2 footprint and allow it to continue operating into the foreseeable future, whilst utilising Australia?s most extensive resource, coal.

9. The Independent expert report that the Government commissioned in relation to Cougar Energy?s activities was not performed by the best experts for the job. The supposed experts were experts in hydrogeology, not UCG. Actual experts in UCG, for example from the University of QLD, were not even approached for their opinions, or to be on the panel. There is no way that ?experts? in the specific field of hydrogeology, could provide an expert opinion on UCG as it relates to hydrogeology. This was clearly evident in their limited 11 page report to the QLD government. It was also evident that these supposed experts had not referred to or understood the specifics of Cougar Energy?s 600-plus pages of report on the Kingaroy operation which was submitted to DERM.

10. The primary reason for stopping Cougar?s Kingaroy project, given by the QLD government, is that Cougar was unable to show that it could not operate without adverse risk to the Environment. The whole point of allowing 3 companies to perform pilot operations in QLD, as per the government?s moratorium policy on UCG 2009, was so that they could demonstrate the environmental credentials of the technology. It is literally impossible to ?show? that there is no risk to environment with reports only, no matter what the size. To ?show? such a ?conclusion? requires physical proof, hence the government?s 2009 policy which approved 3 pilot operations.

References
ucg_policy_february_2009.pdf
cougar-energy-report.pdf

11. Out of 33 trials conducted in the United states, primarily by the Department of Energy (DOE) and Laurence Livermore National Laboratories (LLNL), only 2 reported ground water contamination. The reasons for contamination and the mitigation measures to avoid such contamination are well understood. The most recent trial conducted in the United States, Rocky Mountain 1 (RM1), showed that UCG can be conducted without uncontrolled impacts to groundwater.

12. People should not be scared of gasification. Coal gasification has been around for hundreds of years and was first used to commercially supply reticulated ?town gas? in London. It was also used in a similar manner in most major cities in Australia, including Brisbane where the gasification reactor vessel can still be seen beside the BGGS rowing sheds on the side of the Brisbane River in West End. The gasification process is well understood and performing it underground is most expertly understood by Cougar?s technology provider, Ergo Exergy.