Chinchilla, Queensland: DEHP expands contamination testing of poisonous gases in Hopeland

DEHP expands contamination testing in Hopeland by Chinchilla News, 13th Oct 2016

THE Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has begun a second phase of testing in and around Hopeland to better understand the extent of contamination from Linc Energy’s Underground Coal Gasification test site.

DEHP’s independent consultants, Gilbert and Sutherland, began drilling works and gas sampling on land owned by Aberdare Collieries Pty Ltd (CS Energy) on Monday.

The testing on CS Energy land is part of a second phase of testing undertaken by DEHP and Gilbert and Sutherland, which will see a further 50 locations in and around Hopeland targeted for sampling.

This phase will also involve re-visiting and re-testing long-term shallow soil vapour monitoring bores installed by EHP during the first phase of testing in 2015.

The testing program involves numerous locations inside and outside the 300 square kilometre Excavation Caution Zone, which was put in place by DEHP in February 2015.

The works involve the drilling of three holes in close proximity to each other to a depth of eight metres. A soil core will be examined from the first hole and a gas sample taken from the second hole.

A soil vapour monitoring well will be installed in the third hole, which is expected to remain in place for several months.

A DEHP spokesperson said the further testing was being conducted to “better characterise the extent of the contamination and build an understanding of the behaviour of the contaminant gases over time”.

Linc Energy is currently facing five charges of wilfully and unlawfully causing environmental harm in breach of the Environmental Protection Act (1994) at its Hopeland underground coal gasification plant between 2007 and 2013.

Recently, Minister for Department of Environment and Heritage Protection Dr Steven Miles described the Linc Energy debacle as “the biggest single pollution event in Queensland’s history”.

Linc Energy had continued to refute all charges brought against it by the State Government. The company went into voluntary administration in April and is currently in liquidation. [Emphasis added]

[Refer also to:

2016 09 18: Queensland’s environmental regulator charges Linc Energy CEO Peter Bond with three indictable offences, If convicted, could face fines or jail time. Linc, in liquidation, faces five charges of willfully and unlawfully causing serious environmental harm. When will Encana be charged for willfully and unlawfully frac’ing and contaminating Rosebud’s drinking water aquifers?

2015 08 10: Linc Energy’s Massive Frac’d Land Time Bomb (like Encana’s at Rosebud?), “Executives could face the prospect of jail. Damage has been going on for years.” Secret report reveals more than 300 sq km of severe contamination to groundwater, prime agricultural land and air near Chinchilla, SE Queensland

2016 08 30: Victoria state gov’t to permanently ban unconventional gas development; Fracking and CBM/CSG to be banned: “The health and environmental risks…outweigh any potential benefit.” Citizens hail decision after inquiry into onshore unconventional gas received 1,600 submissions

2016 04 09: “Mr Bender’s death was ‘a snap decision’ after Origin Energy tried to force him to sell.” Family of George Bender Submission to Senate Inquiry into Regulation of CSG (CBM) Industry: 1,000 pigs dead due to gas industry pollution

2015 10 15: “A terrible terrible day.” George Bender, CSG (CBM) impacted farmer, Darling Downs, Queensland, killed himself. “Not only does this community have to live with this scourge of CSG coal seam gas mining on a daily and nightly basis, now they have to deal with one of their most-respected and most-loved community members taking his life.”

2015 08 10: Linc Energy’s Massive Frac’d Land Time Bomb (like Encana’s at Rosebud?), “Executives could face the prospect of jail. Damage has been going on for years.” Secret report reveals more than 300 sq km of severe contamination to groundwater, prime agricultural land and air near Chinchilla, SE Queensland

2015 03 03: Queensland regulator: gases near Chinchilla might be from Linc Energy coal gasification plant, Preliminary tests on private properties showed carbon monoxide, hydrogen, hydrogen sulphide yet Queensland Health says “no health risks to landowners” (Reality check: the gases might kill you or ignite)

2014 04 11: Underground Coal Gasification Company Linc Energy Limited charged by regulator for causing serious environmental harm ]

This entry was posted in Global Frac News, Other Legal. Bookmark the permalink.