Mod 2 - Extension of Time

Dear Madam or Sir,

I wish to express my opposition to extending the deadline for drilling as outlined in this modification.

There has been widespread community opposition to fracking and drilling in this area. Reasons for this include:
-Threats to the drinking water and aquifers
- Increased fire risk.
- Unassessed risk of combined extensive coalmining and drilling/fracking in this region.

Given that the local community has repeatedly expressed its opposition to this proposal I find it frustrating that you continue to ignore the community's voice. Particularly in light of the fact that the current State government claimed it would defend the area from this type of disregard for the environment prior to the last election.

Yours faithfully,
Matt Radzyner.

I am against coal seam gas mining in such a sensitive area as water catchment area and our beautiful escarpment.All scientific evidence confirms my belief that this is not acceptable.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I was dismayed to learn of proposals to allow CSG exploration in our drinking water catchment. There seems to a a move to ram through CSG exploration in the face of widespread community opposition.

The drinking water catchment is unsuitable for CSG exploration and production. Allowing this development to go ahead contradicts the pre-election promise from Barry O'Farrell: "The next Liberal/National Government will ensure that mining cannot occur... in any water catchment area, and will ensure that mining leases and mining exploration permits reflect that common sense; no ifs, no buts, a guarantee."

Development must always be considered in the context of the surrounding area. This can change over time. Given this, a modification for an indefinite start date is irresponsible.
The risks of CSG mining are well evidenced and the Premier has acknowledged that the current legislation is not adequate to manage development of the industry. In this context, no new applications or modifications should be approved and existing projects should be frozen, to conduct an investigation into the full impacts of CSG development.

I strongly oppose any plans by Apex to continue to drill or modify boreholes. Coal Seam Gas Mining is highly unethical and dangerous to the environment.

I am aboslutely disgusted that this decision has been made. From the research I have done and the documentries I have seen I am amazed that a State and a Country such as ours would even consider to undertake such damaging enviromental activies in and around populated area's let alone in our water catchment region in the Illawarra. This activity must be stopped immediately before any further damage is done to our environment.

This application should be rejected.
Development must always be considered in the context of the surrounding area. This can change over time. Given this, a modification for an indefinite start date is irresponsible.
The risks of CSG mining are well evidenced and the Premier has acknowledged that the current legislation is not adequate to manage development of the industry. In this context, no new applications or modifications should be approved and existing projects should be frozen, to conduct an investigation into the full impacts of CSG development.
The drinking water catchment is unsuitable for CSG exploration and production. Allowing this development to go ahead contradicts the pre-election promise from Barry O'Farrell: "The next Liberal/National Government will ensure that mining cannot occur... in any water catchment area, and will ensure that mining leases and mining exploration permits reflect that common sense; no ifs, no buts, a guarantee."
The Illawarra Escarpment is a high risk bush fire area, exacerbated by its highly combustible peat base. Indeed, in August 2012 a bush fire burnt through AI09 and AI10 in this project. Extracting and piping gas in this environment will increase fire risks.
The development of this coal seam gas project is being layered on top of extensive coal mining and a fault line, without an assessment of the combined impacts.
There is widespread public opposition to CSG exploration and mining in the area. This includes a public petition of over 30,000 signatures, formal votes against CSG mining by local councils and two actions opposing CSG development attended by over 3,000 people each.

I am a concerned citizen who is quickly becoming alarmed. I feel the following issues must be addressed before CSG extraction is approved in NSW.

Failure of well casings - It should be shown without doubt that the concrete used will not crack, crumble or fail in some way allowing the gas to leak into aquifers.
Incidences of this problem have been documented by the CSG industry in the USA. South Western Energy has a document with diagrams showing a cement barrier around the sides of the well preventing gas from migrating to upper levels and into aquifers but when it fails the gas leaks into the surrounds contaminating the drinking water.

The following figures are collected from CSG industry reports in the USA where the problems with CSG are well known. Schlumberger has a review published in 2003 showing that casing failure occurs at alarming rates. It shows that 6% fail immediately upon drilling and that well casings deteriorate over time. Over a 30-year period 50% of well casings failed. An Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board report shows gas migration at astronomical rates in deviated or horizontal wells and that surface casing doesn't help the problem at all. Archer Well Services shows enormous rates of leakage - 45% in wells in Gulf of Mexico, 34% in the UK and a 40% risk of uncontrolled discharge. In Pennsylvania well leakage is between 6.2% & 7.2% rate of failure for newly installed wells with gas migrating into aquifers.

A recent Queensland report found that over 50% of the wells tested In Qld were leaking.

It has to be shown that the cement and steel used in the construction of well casings have to last forever in order to be safe for future generations. Cement failure caused the blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. Cement failure caused the massive gas leak in the North Sea.

A full health impact assessment should be conducted before permits are issued.

Various studies about the effects of gas drilling have found that there are acute health problems relating to gas drilling activities and that the magnitude of these effects was from moderate to high.

It would be better to know the health consequences now before we allow this irreversible damage to our water supply to take place.
Although the gas industry insists that gas drilling is safe, there are numerous reports showing that there are risks to the environment and health of the community. As well as the problem of chemicals and compounds leaching into the water table, there have been many accidents with spillage of produced water. As far as I know, there is no known way to fix the problem once gas and chemicals (naturally found in coal seams) migrate into the ground water or find their way out through other cracks and fissures exposed when the water pressure is removed. So far there is no guaranteed safe drilling for coal seam gas.

At Fullerton Cove no Groundwater Assessment program will be implemented until this project begins! It seems the Newcastle and Lower Hunter residents and all the animals and birds and fish which rely on the aquifers that supply 20% of Newcastle's drinking water, are being used as an experiment!

There should be no risk of failure if water supplies are at stake. Clean safe drinking water should not be put at risk for the entire future in return for a possible supply of gas from a project that may not be viable at all.

In the USA some gas companies have shown that the gas leaking into the water is not the gas they were drilling for and therefore feel they are not responsible. The drilling process caused the gas leakage. Pockets of shallow gas can find a way to escape up failed well casings and into the aquifers. This has been the subject of a study by the Slumberjay 2010 groundwater report. I could find no information in Australian reports.


The CSG Industry should be responsible for rehabilitation of drill sites.

Dart Energy doesn't have a good record regarding this responsibility. They have compliance issues recorded against them at Fullerton Cove regarding `the failure to properly rehabilitate a site ... possible acid sulphate soil issues' and a `lack of appropriate surface water and groundwater monitoring'.

It seems the typical way of the mining industry is to lie, contaminate, pollute, take the profits then walk away and let the taxpayers pay for the cleanup. As well as the contamination of our water supplies, gas drilling causes massive land scarring, pollution, truck traffic and habitation fragmentation by pipelines.

The NSW government needs to step in immediately, call for a Moratorium on CSG and respond to the concerns of NSW residents and prevent drilling until all concerns are satisfactorily answered.

There is enough science out there pointing to huge problems but if we don't talk about this and get concerned and ask the right questions it will just go ahead regardless of future problems and then it will be too late. All costs must be considered (not just the jobs and profits).

I am disgusted in the lack of vision succesive govts, and in particular the newly elected NSW Govt have in allowing a threat to our water and environment to go ahead dispite the obviuos troubles in QLD. Maybe cutbacks in the number of beaurocracies and cutbacks at the top of your beaurocracies (not at the coal face )will help in saving the state money instead of searching for the next exploitable resource , cashing in on the tax income. Good work parliment you are working to the lowest possible denominator.

Hi

In the absence of a proper 'environmental assessment' (the 10 pages documents doesn't provide a description of the geology, water system, connectiveness between groundwater, ..) it is not possible to support this project.

It appears topical to base any of these decisions on sound scientific and transparent studies, which is not the case at the moment. In addition, a full assessment of the use/efficiency and impacts of existing boreholes is necessary.

I object to the lease extention.

I find it very difficult to understand why the NSW Govt is allowing itself to be rushed headlong into this coalseam gas exploitation. The experience elsewhere in Aust and overseas is that problems are arising from this type of exploration and extraction and in my view it would prudent to hasten slowly and cautiously. Looking to the future what will happen if NSW chooses to leave this resource in the ground a bit longer? The asset will become more valuable and we the current generation might just leave something for future generations.
With more time we might just be able to confirm whether these practices are safe or dangerous. I don't consider these companies that you are allowing into the precious catchment areas have the interests of the community at heart. They are chasing quick profits. What is the rush. What is the governments view on what we as a state do in 50 or 100 or 200 years. Think long term and produce a careful and safe methodology and stop this madness of waiving royalties . The state needs to understand that these resources are finite and should be treasured and not ripped out of the ground for quick profit.

keep CSG extraction out of our soils

Too hasty, take time to research before acting for $

Do not allow the Apex CSG project to gain time. In a sensitive water catchment area, it is a completely inappropriate development and should not be permitted.

I strongly oppose allowing drilling for Coal Seam Gas in any of our water catchment areas such as the Woronora and Nepean as well as the "Special areas".

To do so shows that the Premier Barry O'Farrell would have broken his promised to ban exploration and mining in the drinking water catchments.

The lifting of the freeze on fracking and exploration in areas considered sensitive is absolutely disgusting.

No words and assurances can put the wool over the peoples eyes that this is other than a retraction of previous promises..

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing to you to point out that there is widespread public disapproval of Coal Seam Gas Exploration/Mining(CSG) . This seems to have bypassed your information base. A drive down my street will verify that almost every resident in Lawrence Hargrave Drive is opposed to the very idea of CSG.

I am opposed to the very thought of CSG mining in a water catchment area. Barry O'Farrell himself claimed as a pre-election promise that it would not occur. Secondly, it appears CSG is trying to extract gas from areas that have been extensively mined. This is at least foolhardy, for areas such as the Illawarra escarpment for reasons that are obvious to anyone.

The short term benefit of money for your current government from CSGmining does not take into consideration long term effects on the environment.
I urge you to do the right thing, listen to public opinion, and reject coal seam gas mining and exploration.

I am very concerned about development approval regarding Coal Seam Gas mining in the Illawarra. The following issues are of great concern:

Development must always be considered in the context of the surrounding area. This can change over time. Given this, a modification for an indefinite start date is irresponsible.

The risks of CSG mining are well evidenced and the Premier has acknowledged that the current legislation is not adequate to manage development of the industry. In this context, no new applications or modifications should be approved and existing projects should be frozen, to conduct an investigation into the full impacts of CSG development.

The drinking water catchment is unsuitable for CSG exploration and production. Allowing this development to go ahead contradicts the pre-election promise from Barry O'Farrell: "The next Liberal/National Government will ensure that mining cannot occur... in any water catchment area, and will ensure that mining leases and mining exploration permits reflect that common sense; no ifs, no buts, a guarantee."

The Illawarra Escarpment is a high risk bush fire area, exacerbated by its highly combustible peat base. Indeed, in August 2012 a bush fire burnt through AI09 and AI10 in this project. Extracting and piping gas in this environment will increase fire risks.

The development of this coal seam gas project is being layered on top of extensive coal mining and a fault line, without an assessment of the combined impacts.

There is widespread public opposition to CSG exploration and mining in the area. This includes a public petition of over 30,000 signatures, formal votes against CSG mining by local councils and two actions opposing CSG development attended by over 3,000 people each.

Yours sincerly,
Rowan Keyzer.

Until late 2011, I was a resident of northern Illawarra and am still very concerned about major negative impacts and degradation of an environment I worked in and fought to protect over many years. The risks of CSG mining are well-known and the Premier has acknowledged that the current legislation is not adequate to manage development of the industry. Therefore no new applications or modifications should be approved and existing projects should be frozen, to conduct an investigation into the full impacts of CSG development.

My object is simply that my personal research suggests that there is not conclusive evidence to suggest that CSG gas extraction in the water catchments is completely safe in terms of water contamination.

That being the case the project should not proceed until comprehend peer reviewed research is completed, directly referencing the target areas, showing the practice is safe in all aspects.

The drinking water catchment is unsuitable for CSG exploration and production. Allowing this development to go ahead contradicts the pre-election promise from Barry O'Farrell: "The next Liberal/National Government will ensure that mining cannot occur... in any water catchment area, and will ensure that mining leases and mining exploration permits reflect that common sense; no ifs, no buts, a guarantee."
The Illawarra Escarpment is a high risk bush fire area, exacerbated by its highly combustible peat base. Indeed, in August 2012 a bush fire burnt through AI09 and AI10 in this project. Extracting and piping gas in this environment will increase fire risks.
The development of this coal seam gas project is being layered on top of extensive coal mining and a fault line, without an assessment of the combined impacts.