THE state's first case of water contamination from coal seam gas
drilling has been discovered in north-western NSW, according to
independent tests.
High levels of ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide, lithium,
cyanide, bromide and boron were found around a water discharge point
near a Santos coal seam gas operation in the Pilliga forest, near
Narrabri.
The state government last night confirmed it would conduct its own investigation and testing of the site. Water samples gathered by environment groups Friends of the
Earth and The Wilderness Society were tested by East West EnviroAg, an
independent laboratory in Tamworth that services agricultural and mining
clients.
It found samples from Bohena Creek, near a coal seam gas well
discharge pipe, contained ammonia at three times the safe level
recommended by drinking water guidelines. Upstream samples were
uncontaminated.
Santos, which took over the exploratory drilling site from
Eastern Star Gas last month, said it had not seen the test results and
had doubts about the credibility of the environment groups that
collected the samples. It cited a NSW Office of Water study that said
ammonia levels in the waterway were normally high, as a result of runoff
from nitrate-based fertilisers.
''Discharged water is tested on a monthly basis and all
recent results have met NSW requirements,'' the company said in a
statement.
''Santos is confident it is not in breach of its authority or having any adverse impact on water resources in the area.''
The NSW Department of Trade and Investment, Regional
Infrastructure and Services, which is responsible for regulating most
aspects of the coal seam gas industry, yesterday launched its own
investigation. The NSW Environment Protection Authority told the Herald last night it had also contacted the department and would follow up on the investigation.
The water being discharged into Bohena Creek is pumped from
deep underground during the drilling and gas extraction process, and is
released into the creek under licence from the government after being
treated by a reverse osmosis plant.
Carmel Flint, a spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth, said
she resented the claim from Santos that the high contaminant levels in
the water might be from farming.
''We are astonished that Santos are apparently trying to
shift the blame to farmers for their own polluting activities,'' she
said.
''There is no farming along the Bohena Creek where the water
was collected - it is located entirely in the Pilliga State Forest …
This is Santos's coal seam gas water, it is their very own pollutants
that are flowing in to that creek system.''
The plan inherited by Santos from Eastern Star Gas calls for 1100 gas wells across the Pilliga forest.
The test results were released as the NSW parliamentary
inquiry into coal seam gas conducted another hearing in Sydney. It
heard from industry executives and engineers that there had been no
known incidents of water pollution resulting from coal seam gas
operations in the state.
Water samples gathered by environment groups Friends of the
Earth and The Wilderness Society were tested by East West EnviroAg, an
independent laboratory in Tamworth that services agricultural and mining
clients.
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