[Greens-Media] Gas blow out shows the need for 12 month moratorium

[Max Phillips]

Gas blow out shows the need for 12 month moratorium

The Greens mining spokesperson, Jeremy Buckingham MLC, said the massive coal seam gas well blow out in Queensland should be a warning to the NSW government to get this industry under control before similar disasters occur in NSW. 

"This massive gas blow out in Queensland is a warning to the government that they need to control the cowboy coal seam gas industry," said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

"Spewing explosive gas 40 meters into the air, potentially for days, shows just how dangerous coal seam gas extraction can be.

"The NSW government's 60 day moratorium on issuing licences will not stop any drilling - it is token.  What we need is a 12 month moratorium and an independent inquiry to examine safety, health and environmental issues of coal seam gas.

"There are 550 gas wells proposed for the dry bushland of the Pilliga, near Narrabri.  A gas leak like this could have disastrous effects in bushfire prone land.

"Last week I witnessed AGL Camden gas drilling operations spewing a foamy substance into the air only a few hundred metres from the suburb of Glen Alpine and a Sydney water supply canal.

"The Queensland gas blow out underlines the need to apply the precautionary principle before the coal seam gas industry wreaks havoc on NSW with thousands of gas wells." 

Contact: Max Phillips (02) 9230 2202   or  0419 444 916

Max Phillips
 
OFFICE OF JEREMY BUCKINGHAM MLC
Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9230 2202 | Fax: 02 9230 3341 | Mobile: 0419 444 916
 
The information contained in this e-mail message and any accompanying files is or may be confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, reliance, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail or any attached files is unauthorised. Unless specifically stated, the views expressed are those of the author alone.