Coal seam gas mining catastrophe

The Coffs Coast Advocate made its final appearance today as a 'daily' ... sad news indeed. Read The Advocate's Belinda Scott tribute to the paper's last edition here.

The letters section of final edition carries a timely reminder of the catastrophic impact of coal seam gas mining - see below.

Coal seam catastrophe

Wake up, Australia. Gas coal seam mining will ruin the land, foul the underground water, foul surface water, degrade the soil and the atmosphere and generally bring about ruin to the families that own property that is subject to a mining lease.

I have recently viewed a documentary on this type of mining and the after effects on the countryside in the heartland of USA, mass destruction of the environment both above ground and below ground, plus the health and well being of land owners, all for the sake of the almighty dollar.

Thousands upon thousands of wells across America from Texas through to New York state.

Toxic chemicals into watercourses, private water wells, soils from one end of the country to the other and all this in a space of 10 years, unrepairable, with the mining companies never admitting liability and as a result little or no compensation for the injured parties.

Government agencies entrusted to monitor the industry in the early days, had no idea what was being used in the fracking process, so that when problems started to surface, government did not have a clue what they were dealing with.

Listening to our NSW and Queensland premiers, doesn't this sound all too familiar? They are so strapped for cash that they are prepared to sell the future of clean, clear water, viable food production, health and well-being of landowners for a miserable short-term dollar return.

Repeal the legislation and nip this in the bud before it becomes a major environmental disaster.

My simple logic tells me that it is going to be impossible to repair a fracture in the rock strata that allows toxic water and chemicals to reach an underground water reservoir, possibly 2000-4000 feet underground, through a six-inch pipe.

Are the miners going to send in trained mice armed with super glue to repair the fracture?

Once the damage is done it will be too late.

What is more important? Water, food, health, land or dollars?

I hope that the people of NSW and Queensland swamp their local politicians with questions regarding this stupidity that they appear to endorse.

M I Randall