Frackingly unacceptable

Anti-fracking rally in the USA

By Jimmy Cocking, Co-ordinator Arid Lands Environment Centre

The Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC) is gravely concerned about the lax responses by the Territory’s Chief Minister Paul Henderson and Resources Minister Kon Vatskalis, in response to the Central Land Council’s criticism of the lack of regulation for coal seam and shale gas exploration.

The Chief Minister’s ‘Don’t you worry about that’ attitude is reminiscent of the Joh-Bjelke Petersen days in Queensland. The process for shale gas exploration does involve fracking and the Territory government does not have adequate regulations to manage this process safely.

Shale gas exploration has been found to contribute to groundwater pollution, gas leaks into the atmosphere and earth tremors in the United States and Europe. As such, France banned shale drilling in July this year.

Shale gas and coal seam gas projects present a very high environmental risk in the Territory where we are dependent on groundwater for pastoralism and public utility, not to mention the needs of the environment.

Without an adequate regulatory framework, all costs are externalised to the tax-paying public, currently all mining and petroleum companies are exempt from the Water Act and are not required to use licensed drillers, report on water use or groundwater pollution  – which is totally unacceptable.

The Northern Territory Water Act is currently under review with no indication of removing the exemptions for mining and petroleum companies. The Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC) is calling for the removal of Section 7 from the Water Act which grants exemptions to mining and petroleum-related activities in relation to water use and pollution.

ALEC is also calling for a moratorium on shale, coal seam and other non-conventional gas exploration projects until a proper regulatory and environmental impact assessment framework is in place.

Fracking sparks fears for aquifers, ABC Online