Narrabri Gas

I wish to make a submission to object to Santos' proposal to drill 850 coal seam gas wells over an area 95 000 hectares. For such a large project with such far reaching effects, the Environmental Impact Statement is very short on important details. This includes the details of where the wells will be placed- extremely important if you are a landholder within the exploration area. Its not an appropriate expectation to allow any company free reign over the land underneath us to determine at some time in the future weather they require it or not. As a farmer, forward planning is essential and beside the uncertainty as to weather csg drilling, access roads, pipelines or associated infrastructure will be occurring on your property or not would be extremely distressing. Our state government should have tighter protection for landholders and demand more information from Santos before any approval is given. 'Field development protocol' is not appropriate for this large scale development affecting so many livelihoods.

Further to the affects on farming and the livelihoods of those living in this region of NSW is the significant loss of water from the Great Artesian Basin recharge aquifer over time. The effects of this on farming and the sustainability of life are impossible to predict or determine, particularly well into the future. It is irresponsible to risk this vital resource. Also, this water belongs to all of us and future persons- this water doesn't belong to Santos. The state government is obliged to protect this resource for the future.

This is a commercial venture into which Santos has entered. They have contracted to sell more gas than they can produce. It does not seem reasonable or responsible for the state government to allow access to resources that belong to all Australians, future Australians included, just because this company has over contracted. There is significant risk to the environment, disregard for cultural values, risks to health, and the social cohesion of the area that will cost the state more than any royalties or jobs that this project could produce.

I am an old lady. It grieves me to see the destruction that is increasingly evident. This has happened in my lifetime. Surely we can protect what is left. In hope, Leola Tacey.

Here are just eight of the many reasons why this project should NOT be approved, the simplest fact is that it threatens to poison water for drinking and food for at least 22% of Australians. Here's some other points to consider

1. Santos say they are not going to interfere with a GAB recharge zone. However all government hydrogeological mapping of the GAB shows the project will straddle the most important inflow zone into the GAB in NSW (Hydrogeological Atlas of the Great Artesian Basin (2016); Department of Water Resources (NSW) Hydrogeological Series Sheet SH 55-12; NSW Department of Water & Energy April 2009 PN00799 WR2008-089)

2. There is no evidence provided which shows there is no connectivity between aquifer strata. Recent studies document migration of coal bed methane to the surface (https://www.nature.com/articles/srep15996)

3. All well casings will fail eventually. Who is going to maintain the well integrity after Santos have gone? We will have 850 leakage time-bombs through the GAB (http://www.pnas.org/content/111/30/10955.full)

4. Santos want to release treated water into Bohena Creek during high and moderate flows, ignoring in their EIS that this creek is a recognised surface groundwater ecosystem (Australian GDE Atlas).

5. Santo have completely ignored pubic health risks from fugitive emissions, including from methane, sulphides and ozone. How can this gas be so clean when all others is so dirty?

6. Recent work has shown that the levels of methane emissions from CSG operations are high to pose significant risks to greenhouse gas levels.

7. The region is an astronomy destination providing jobs, business and tourism. Flaring gas and dust creation is a huge risk to this sector and the region.

8. Fragmenting the bush of the Pilliga forest will add to pressure from fox predation on threatened species. No control program will compensate the additional areas of forest which will see increased fox activity.

This project must not proceed as the risks are too high for the environment and the community.

I object to the project

There is ample evidence of the impact of additional releases of fossil fuels into the atmosphere. There is also ample evidence of the impact of this form of gas extraction on the local environment. Either along should be enough to stop this development. I urge that, for the sake of future generations, you refuse development consent.

I understand that CSG mining will exhaust the groundwater table, taking perhaps 40 billion litres of water, whilst leaving thousands of tonnes of residual salt to be disposed of, while diverting water from recharging the Great Artesian Basin, which is relied upon by rural communities across western NSW
It will have a deleterious impact on the Pilliga State Forest, habitat to our flora and indigenous wildlife.
Deliberate and fugitive emissions of Methane gas will be released adding to the impacts of Climate Change, while instead, we should be investing in renewable energy. Additionally, Coal Seam Gas is harmful to both human health, according to US studies, and the environment, upon which we all depend for our survival.
Furthermore, the risk of further, unnecessary, environmental degradation will be ever present, such as turning the night sky bright, thus harming the important dark night sky needed for the research performed within the internationally renowned Siding Spring Observatory.
In summary, in such matters, I believe, we should adhere to precautionary principles as it is imprudent to ever knowingly place such essential human needs, such as agricultural farming, the environment or essential groundwater supplies at risk from the destructive activities of CSG mining.

I strongly urge the rejection of this project and request that the whole of the Great Artesian Basin recharge be declared off-limits to CSG mining activities.

This is a submission to the Narrabri Gas Project EIS.

I OBJECT to this project and believe it should be REJECTED.

We do not need CSG anywhere in Australia. It has been proven in other parts of the world to be highly damaging to the environment, the water nearby (including, perhaps especially, the groundwater) and even to the health of the people who live and work in the area.

Large corporations, such as Santos, need to switch their huge resources (i.e. money and staff, etc.) to focus on renewable and sustainable sources of energy.

These corporations presumably have living humans working within them; the corporations are not minds on their own. The human beings working within them need to each take a look at themselves, their families and friends and remember who they are and why they are here. They need to remember that this world won't keep giving if we never give back to it. It will eventually stop giving.

I am communicating to you, human to human. Feel this project in your heart. Does it truly feel like a healthy, safe and sustainable option? Does it truly feel like a project that will allow your children and grandchildren to survive and thrive?

Why not expend your resources on something that will have a positive impact on you and the people around you?

You can't eat money, you can't drink Coal Seam Gas and these are the only resources I can see being positively impacted.

If this project goes ahead it will create huge damage and have a negative impact in many ways, as laid out in the points below:

1. Extract over 35 billion litres of salt laden groundwater, much of it in the first five years. This water will be treated and will generate almost 500,000 tonnes of salt waste, for which there is no safe disposal plan.
2. Clear close to 1,000 hectares of the Pilliga Forest, fragmenting the largest temperate woodland in New South Wales, home to unique wildlife.
3. Drill through a recharge aquifer of the Great Artesian Basin and draw water down from a water resource relied upon by rural communities across western NSW.
4. Lead to large deliberate and emissions of methane from venting and leakage, adding to climate change.

The project will also cause more trauma to the regional Aboriginal community because the area of impact is crucially important to the spiritual, cultural and social life of Gamilaraay people.

The project is not justified: Santos' own coal seam gas export activities in Queensland have caused gas prices to rise and supply to become unpredictable.

NSW should respond to this by investing in more reliable and ultimately cheaper renewable energy, not by letting Santos inflict more environmental, social and economic harm.

It will cause economic upheaval in Narrabri and put agricultural industries at risk, as well as causing light pollution that will ruin the dark night sky needed by the internationally renowned Siding Spring Observatory.

Coal seam gas is harmful to health. Neither the NSW Government nor Santos have investigated or dealt with the serious health effects of coal seam gas now appearing in peer-reviewed research in the United States.

I urge the Government to reject this project and make the Great Artesian Basin recharge OFF-LIMITS to gas mining.

Again, I object to this proposal and believe it should be rejected.

See uploaded document

I firmly believe that CSG extraction can not be done safely and with any guarantees of there being no on going environmental issues.
There are to many examples of this around the world
I FIRMLY OPPOSE THIS APPLICATION

Fracking presents a real and well proven threat to water tables. Examples of contamination of water tables are well documented. The water table in question is the largest in Australia. When non-porous rock is made porous by the fracking process it exposes the water table to contamination by the highly toxic fracking agents and methane gas. Once done, this process is irreversible. Terrible environmental damage has alredy been caused in Queensland by this contraversial industry. It is already an obselecant industry, soon to be obsolete as renewables become cheaper by the month. We don't need this gas!

It is insane that this is being considered, this is the future of our clean drinking water. I absolutely object to this

Fracking is yet to be proven safe.

I Object to the CSG Project.
The environment is not protected.
Our assets aren`t protected

I object...

Water is life. Life is sacred, Nothing is worth more than this.

Please do no continue to damage our ecosystems, with the harmful effects of coal seam gas fraking and related gas yielding practices. The cost this will have to the environment may be catastrophic, in contaminating the great artesian basin, on which many farmers, crops, animals, and plants survive. There are alternatives available which are cheaper and do not pose any great risk. This is a terrible idea. Please reject this project on an environmental and economic basis.

I object to the project for the following reasons:


It will extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater, much of it in the first five years. This water will be treated and in the early years will generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt, for which there is no safe disposal plan.

It will clear close to 1,000 hectares of the Pilliga Forest, fragmenting the largest temperate woodland in New South Wales, home to unique wildlife.

It will cause significant diversion of water from a recharge aquifer of the Great Artesian Basin, which is a water resource relied upon by rural communities across western NSW.

It will lead to large deliberate and fugitive emissions of methane, adding to climate change.

It will cause more trauma to the regional Aboriginal community because the area of impact is crucially important to the spiritual, cultural and social life of Gamilaraay people.

It is not justified: Santos' own Coal Seam Gas export activities in Queensland have caused gas prices to rise and supply to become unpredictable. NSW should respond to this by investing

in more reliable and ultimately cheaper renewable energy, not by letting Santos inflict more environmental, social and economic harm.

It will cause economic upheaval in Narrabri and put agricultural industries at risk, as well as causing light pollution that will ruin the dark night sky needed by the internationally renowned Siding Spring Observatory.

Coal Seam Gas is harmful to health. Neither the NSW Government nor Santos have investigated or dealt with the serious health effects of coal seam gas now appearing in peer-reviewed research in the United States.

See attached PDF.

It will extract over 35 billion litres of toxic groundwater, much of it in the first five years. This water will be treated and in the early years will generate tens of thousands of tonnes of salt, for which there is no safe disposal plan.
It will clear close to 1,000 hectares of the Pilliga Forest, fragmenting the largest temperate woodland in New South Wales, home to unique wildlife.
It will cause significant diversion of water from a recharge aquifer of the Great Artesian Basin, which is a water resource relied upon by rural communities across western NSW.
It will lead to large deliberate and fugitive emissions of methane, adding to climate change.
It will cause more trauma to the regional Aboriginal community because the area of impact is crucially important to the spiritual, cultural and social life of Gamilaraay people.
It is not justified: Santos' own Coal Seam Gas export activities in Queensland have caused gas prices to rise and supply to become unpredictable. NSW should respond to this by investing in more reliable and ultimately cheaper renewable energy, not by letting Santos inflict more environmental, social and economic harm.
It will cause economic upheaval in Narrabri and put agricultural industries at risk, as well as causing light pollution that will ruin the dark night sky needed by the internationally renowned Siding Spring Observatory.
Coal Seam Gas is harmful to health. Neither the NSW Government nor Santos have investigated or dealt with the serious health effects of coal seam gas now appearing in peer-reviewed research in the United States.

THE LAST THING THAT IS NEEDED HERE IS MORE POISEN AND CLEARING OF LAND WITH NATURAL WILD LIFE HABITAT.IF THIS CONTINUES THERE WILL BE NO CLEAN WATER AND PLENTY OF POISEN-NO MORE POISEN NO MORE POISEN-LOOK FOR SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES AND STOP PUTTING ALL THESE PEOPLE,HABITAT AND WILDLIFE WHO WILL BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED AT RISK.THIS IS NOT AN OPTION IT IS MURDER.