NSW and QLD governments must halt all gas mining to protect farms and food exports

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 09 Feb 2012

Beyond Zero Emissions is calling for a complete cessation of CSG mining and exploration activities across NSW and QLD following the verified leak of toxic chemicals into the environment at a NSW CSG field owned by SANTOS.

"All CSG activities must stop to protect farming, state and national governments must order an immediate cessation of exploration and extraction across NSW and QLD in light of the continued problems that are plaguing the industry" said Wright

"It is obvious that Coal Seam Gas (CSG) mining is resulting in the destruction of our natural environment and poisoning of our waterways and land" said Matthew Wright Executive Director of climate and energy security think-tank Beyond Zero Emissions.

"Following a series of ongoing issues at multiple sites, it is clear that these problems aren't going away and this industry can't operate safely or in a way that doesn't pose a significant risk of harm the community" said Wright.

"Our hardworking farmers rely on untainted clean water in order to supply safe food to consumers in our cities, SANTOS and other operators such as AGL and QGC are gatecrashing established agricultural communities with their toxic mining practices and destroying the very land the nation relies on to be able to meet the demands for our daily fresh food and vegetables." said Wright

"We can have food to eat and food exports, or we can have CSG, with toxic leaks, unhindered venting and contaminated aquifers - but we can't have both". said Wright

"This gas industry is turning our greenfield virgin farm lands into contaminated brownfield industrial sites, which will no longer be suitable for farming"

"The discovery of high concentrations of lead is of extreme concern as it is a bioaccumulant and consumers will not accept food that has been anywhere near it".

"And arsenic is just downright poisonus" said Wright

"No one in Australia or overseas who buys food will accept lead anywhere near it. If any produce is found to be growing in areas with contamination the knock on effect to food sales and exports will be rapid and unprecedented" said Wright

"We can say good-bye to future food exports" said Wright

"The worst case scenario is that one of these series of toxic spills is proven to have tainted Australian produce, then our competitors will use this as leverage to engineer boycotts for health and safety reasons of Australian farm products."

"It only takes a small amount of contaminated food to lose a multi-billion dollar export market" said Wright

"We can't risk the farm on Coal Seam Gas" said Wright.

FOR COMMENT: MATTHEW WRIGHT Executive Director Beyond Zero Emission 0421 616 733
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