Coal Seam Gas in the ABC Radio National Interest

From the ABC Radio National Interest page

Coal Seam Gas Online
www.abc.net.au/rn/nationalinterest/stories/2011/3265068.htm

8 July 2011
Calls for more information and better processes governing coal seam gas - 8 July 2011
listen or download audio as MP3 file
The boom in Queensland's coal fields is not just a coal boom but a gas boom - coal seam gas that is. The industry markets coal seam gas as climate friendly to coal, because it can fuel power stations with 70% less carbon emissions.
But farmers and environmentalists affected by the expansion of coal seam gas argue that the processes for finding out information about proposed projects, and avenues for objecting to the granting of mining permits, are arcane, unclear and unfair.
In Queensland, the Environmental Defenders Office has written to the State Government to suggest some ways to improve the processes relating to the approval of coal seam gas and coal mining projects. With growing unease in rural and metropolitan areas, the Queensland Government has promised to review the coal seam gas permit system. And now there is growing pressure for Federal intervention.
To leave a comment on The National Interest feedback line dial 1300 936 222 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call.

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NOTE:
Some of the great positive gifts of Cyclone Yasi (2011) and recent large-scale rainfall and floods in northeast Australia were

1. much poison chemical agriculture in QLD was blown off the map and rinsed into the ocean, with the Great Barrier Reef receiving the pollution in diluted, albeit still poisonous, rinse water
   
2. there was splendid relief for drought-stricken South Australia and other inland areas along the Murray Darling Basin that had been repeatedly refused water by their piggish swine-like often queenly neighbours
   
3. a large number of these totally horrible toally wretched coal mines in QLD had their shafts and undergound operations flooded into dark dank drowning oblivion, temporarily putting an end to the undermining of some of the best agricultural land in Australia.
   

We are greatly thankful to Nature (the Boss) for these Miracles, and hope Nature can also prevent other portions of the human greedy Mining Boom from Mining Bombs of the nuclear variety, via idiot Uranium mining, and metal for car bombs (polluting automobiles) that, along with alcohol and other sundry useless human "must have" items, were never part of Australia, America, Arabia, Africa or anywhere.
To Mine is No Mind
NOMINESA (No Mines Australia) : in the Natural Interest...

WIYA ANGELA PAMELA

Based in the Northern Territory the Super Raelene Bros are a dynamic and gutsy folk-funk outfit. The music they make is for dancing: the vocalization challenging. Armed with a two-prong assault their recordings involve electric collaboration; their live performances stripped back over big acoustic beats. Escaping the desert the Super Raelene Bros have played everywhere from the Gershwin Room in St.Kilda to the markets at Mindil Beach. Festival gigs include Wide Open Space, Adelaide Fringe, Darwin Festival, and the Alice Desert Festival. Acclaimed performances include supports for Paul Kelly, Cat Empire, Jimmy Barnes and Yothu Yindi. The Super Raelene Bros have recently created/collaborated on the musical protest campaign against the planned Angela-Pamela Uranium mine on the outskirts of Alice Springs. The campaign single Wiya! Angela Pamela went to number one on JJJ unearthed and is gaining ground on community radio around the country. The Super Raelene Bros are an outstanding two-piece that generate more funk and dance than most 9 piece outfits. Their performances are a celebration: a brash, joyous,intimate, stomp-out



On the outskirts of Alice Springs, straight across the plain from four Indigenous Communities, Canadian Mining Giant CAMECO is planning to build a massive Uranium mine. The name of the mining lease is 'Angela-Pamela'. When the seasonal dust-storms blow from the south, the communities of Amoonguna, Anthepe, Karnte and Ilparpa are likely to be the first to swallow radioactive nucleides carried by the dust and wind. Unbelieveably, the Angela-Pamela lease is located within the fragile Alice Springs water catchment.

We ask your help to launch a national campaign to say and click WIYA ANGELA PAMELA

Click
WIYA ANGELA PAMELA !
here or
WIYA ANGELA PAMELA !
here for MP3 Monster Hit WIYA ANGELA PAMELA!

Play this song to friends and request radio airplay

Mike Rann Uranium and Cancer

The latest evidence from the
United States Public Health Service
shows that there is a much higher
incidence of lung cancer among
uranium miners compared with the
rest of the population.

Dr Victor Archer, an official of the
US Public Health Service, recently
updated a study on at group of 3366
uranium miners, of whom 745 have
died. Lung cancer caused 144 of
these and Archer says this is nearly
400 per cent more than the lung
cancers which would statistically be
expected to occur.

Dr Archer also estimates that even
with the new tighter safety standards
long term uranium workers would
increase by 45 percent their chances of
getting cancer.

"The epidemic of respiratory cancers
among US uranium miners is continuing
even though radiation levels have been
lowered in recent-years. A new epidemic
of death from respiratory illness has
begun among them", Archer claims.

Archers research. comes as no
surprise to many US critics of the
uranium industry.

Earlier evidence, also from the US
Public Health Service, revealed- that [
between 1946 and 1968 about 6000
underground uranium miners were
needlessly and significantly exposed to
radioactive gases.

Based on this research the Health
Service estimated that there could be
600 to 1100 more-lung cancers than
would normally be expected to occur
among a similar sample of the general
population.

While the US anti-nuclear movement
has tended, since .the Harrisburg
incident, to concentrate on reactor
safety, the latest US evidence on mining
hazards must be worrying for South
Australian uranium proponents.

Sir Arvi Parbo, the Chairman of
Western Mining, recently indicated that
Roxby Downs will be mined by the
underground method. All other
Australian uranium mines use the open
cut system.

American and European evidence has
shown that underground mining is the
worst source of contamination for
miners.

The danger to uranium miners results
from the inhalation of radon gas, a decay
decay product of uranium, which is
released when the area is mined.

When inhaled the gas can inflict
strong radiation doses to the lungs,
resulting in cancer several years later, as
a series of long term studies has shown.

The South Australian Health
Commission is currently investigating
claims that workers at Radium Hill, in
this State, have suffered much greater
incidence of cancer than other members
of the community.

The early evidence appears. to
substantiate that claim.

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NOMINESA Note:

In 1980 a former member of the GreenPeace executive, that had supported the fantastic forays of the Rainbow Warrior into the South Pacific to protest and prevent European nuclear bomb tests (in the South Pacific), named Mike Rann, was writing in The Adelaide Independent about the DANGERS of mining Uranium.

Click here for a photocopy of that article Uranium AND CANCER by Mike Rann

Mike Rann and most other SA politicians are sell-outs to the Uranium mining industry.

Mike Rann would become Premier over the Goverment of South Australia.

Reference : The Adelaide Independent July 1980 page 5

Methane Miners Are No Minders

Beneath the rich farming soils of the Darling Downs there's a gaseous gold mine. Mobile drilling rigs dot the landscape as energy companies rush to secure the next big export contracts - for natural gas. It's cheaper and cleaner than oil and looks set to supersede coal for making electricity. But farmers fear it will contaminate an even more valuable resource - water.

For full story visit:
ABC Background Briefing Gas Rush

Plane of Plunder Plummets

It was a most curious thing: We cautioned our local council pest control that they should corelate their murder of the local pigeon population with what would happen to humans. Automotive pests are much worse than pigeon "pests". Nature is the real boss and it is best to avoid offending Nature.

Then in the next few days we heard and read:

• Congo Crash of Casa 212
  
• Blackhawk Crackup in Afghanistan
  
• Silver City Land Lord Land in Lake
  

Here is some of the scoop on the Congo Crash: Sundance mining executives killed

• John Carr-Gregg
  
• Don Lewis
  
• Craig Oliver
  
• Ken Talbot
  
• Geoff Wedlock
  

www.sundanceresources.com.au

Difficult search

Cameroon's military is leading the effort to find the plane, which disappeared halfway through its hour-long flight between the Cameroon capital Yaounde and Yangadou in neighbouring Congo. Those involved with the search face a difficult task in combing a large, mountainous area of thick rainforest. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told Parliament the flight was meant to only take one hour. He said Cameroon authorities have been searching an area near the border with Congo. "We are of course very seriously concerned about the welfare and wellbeing and safety of the six citizens and one permanent resident," he said. "A number of the board members of Sundance Resources would be well-known to members of this House and this will be a very, very difficult time, a time of great distress for the families, for other management of Sundance Resources and also for employees of the company." Macarthur Coal has issued a statement expressing concern for the company's founder Ken Talbot. Managing director Nicole Hollows says there are grave concerns for all on board. She says the company's thoughts are with the men's families and friends.

Remote rainforest

Aviator and businessman Dick Smith said the plane should have been carrying a survival beacon. He said the jungle could cause the signal to be reduced but planes flying overhead should be able to pick it up. Smith said he could not work out why some kind of emergency message was not sent. "The plane they were in, which was a Casa 212, if I remember correctly, it is a European built plane," he said. "Very, very safe and so it is very strange what has happened. I just cannot fathom... why the pilot would not have been able to get an emergency message out if he knew there was going to be a problem." The author of StockAnalysis, Peter Strachan, said flying to the mine site in Congo would have been seen as the best option. "The project itself is about 400 kilometres to the north and east of the Cameroon coastline, quite dense with many endangered species of primates and so forth," he said. "It is a very, very remote part of the world and infrastructure there is not fantastic ... I guess you could drive there but it would take some days."

Missing miners broke protocol by flying together

Search continues for missing mining executives. Hopes fading for missing mining executives. Search for lost plane continues in Cameroon. Hunt on for missing mining chiefs Sundance Resources says the lack of suitable aircraft forced the company to break with protocol and allow all of its board members to fly on the same plane, which has disappeared in West Africa

. Six mining executives, including billionaire magnate Ken Talbot, were among 11 people on board the plane chartered by the Perth company when it went missing over Cameroon on Saturday. The search for the twin-engine turboprop resumed this afternoon using four aircraft and seven helicopters as well as ground teams. Sundance shares have been placed in a trading halt and the company has suspended its operations in Cameroon and Congo. Sundance has spent tens of millions of dollars on its West African project, which is eventually expected to represent 18 per cent of the GDP of Cameroon. Former Sundance chairman George Jones said the company was close to signing agreements. He said necessity would have led to the board members being on the same plane. "I have seen some close shaves myself that I do not like to think about at the moment," he said. "But it is unusual for an entire board, it actually breaches corporate governance, but it would be obviously related to the fact that they could only get one plane." "A company could not lose that many people and not be affected by it." But Jones said the disappearance of the men will not mean the end of the company. One of the missing men is Sundance CEO Don Lewis. The company's chief financial officer, Peter Canterbury, has been appointed as acting CEO. Canterbury said the company is concentrating its efforts on locating the aircraft and supporting the families of the missing men. "As a matter of priority, its representatives continue to maintain contact with those people and offer support to the families during this deeply distressing time," he said.

Painstaking task to recover crash bodies

No survivors in jungle crash. No survivors as miner's aircraft found in Congo. Plane recorder retrieved but accident unclear. Former Sundance chairman George Jones said he has spoken to the families. Talbot hailed as mining industry 'visionary' Missing miners broke protocol by flying together. Foreign Minister Smith has warned the families of six mining executives killed in an African plane crash that it will take "longer than they would wish" to bring the bodies of their loved ones home.

Search teams say there are no survivors in the wreckage of a chartered plane which crashed into thick jungle in the West African nation of Congo. The aircraft was carrying six executives from Perth-based mining company Sundance Resources, including billionaire coal baron Ken Talbot. The wreckage was discovered about 10 kilometres inside the Congolese border after an intense search involving at least three countries including Cameroon, Gabon and Congo. Emergency workers have already recovered nine bodies and they do not believe there are any survivors, Cameroon's information minister Issa Bakary said. "For the moment between nine and 10 corpses have been retrieved," he said. Bakary says the bodies have not yet been identified. Sundance chairman Geoff Wedlock, managing director Don Lewis, company secretary John Carr-Gregg and non-executive directors John Jones and Craig Oliver were the others on board with Talbot. Two Brits, two French and a Yank were also on the plane. Smith said the process of bringing the bodies home will not be easy. "Disaster victim identification is always lengthy, time-consuming and difficult," he said. "Regrettably now we have to brace ourselves for a long and painstaking process. It'll take longer than the families would wish to repatriate the bodies." George Jones, a former chairman of Sundance Resources who has been appointed a strategic adviser, said the company is trying to recover the bodies. "We will be advising the families that it will not be necessary for them to travel," he said. "It is a very difficult terrain, it is a difficult country and I think it is best that we bring their family back to respective places." Jones says counselling is being offered to the families and colleagues of the crash victims. "I have spoken to a couple of them, you know - I only found out around midnight," he said. "I have travelled to a couple of the homes and told them directly and all of the other members have been advised separately. "We have had teams going in all directions. We have obviously had the police involved and we have had some counselling help involved as well."

Black box found

The plane's flight recorder has been recovered but it is too early to say what caused the crash. The search and rescue process was hampered by poor visibility due to fog and difficult access to the mountainous terrain. The twin-engined plane's flight on Saturday from the Cameroon capital Yaounde to Yangadou in neighbouring Congo was meant to take an hour. The last radio contact with the pilots was about 30 minutes into the flight and there was no indication that the plane was in any trouble. There has been speculation the plane may have crashed into a mountain after flying through fog or cloud. Sundance has released a statement saying the crash site has been secured. "Two Sundance contractors and the French military remain ... with the bodies," it said. "Given fading light, the French military and Sundance personnel have relocated to the Avima mining camp, 10 kilometres away, where they will remain overnight. "The company will recommence the recovery operation at first light on Tuesday, 22 June 2010. Given the remoteness of the crash site, mining contractors located in the vicinity will commence clearing access tracks to the accident site." Those on board had been due to visit a Congo iron ore project which is owned by Sundance. Sundance Resources asked the Stock Exchange to suspend its shares yesterday and investment bank Renaissance Capital earlier downgraded the company from buy to hold. "When Sundance begins to trade again there could be a significant markdown in value to reflect the uncertainty of the current situation," the bank said in a research note.

Tributes to mining chiefs

Michael Roche, the chief executive of the Queensland Resources Council on which Talbot served from 2001 to 2007, has paid tribute to his former colleague.

He says Talbot will be remembered as a generous and driven man.

"It is the news we all feared unfortunately," he said.

"This is a great tragedy for a loving husband, father, as well as the public persona, the entrepreneur, the industry visionary."

The father of one of the other executives killed in the crash, John Carr-Gregg senior, says his son enjoyed the adventure of travelling to remote sites with his job, but his death is devastating.

"You can imagine it is sad but in a way it is certain relief that the waiting is over," he said.

"He was a wonderful guy and that is about it."

John Carr-Greg junior is survived by his wife and two children.

Roxby Downs Bikie Fortress

To Mine is No Mind

Despite what any government in South Australia or all of Australia may say or do regarding motorcycle gangs and "bikie" related crime, the fact remains that some of the most pervasive and persistent presence of "Bikie Gangs" is firmly entrenched in the most prominent industries in Australia.
These especially include

• Mining
  
• Weapons / Warfare
  
• Automotive manufacture
  
• Security
  
• Prison

industries. The main reason this is being posted is because we recently tried to prompt media outlets to concentrate on

the EXTREME HYPOCRISY of South Australia Government's spoken spin about cracking down on "bikie fortresses" while at the same time promoting massive earth-destroying mining throughout South Australia, that utilises hard-hat hard-heart skilled brute force of MANY motorcycle gangsters in mining and transport of resources.

Within a short time of prompting for this type investigation, our telephone answering service was recording messages from an injury compensation claims service, the implication being that, if we did not keep quiet about organised crime as motorcycle gangs at mine sites, we could face possible injury or other harm. We make no apology. Motorcycle gangs

• provide "security" and "protection" for many nightclubs and other druggie-alcoholic venues where "tough guys" are needed to patrol premises and keep patrons intimidated
  
• range far and wide, like packs of wolves, to secure the water, electricity, road and rail routes that pump sustenance and life-blood throughout mine sites and mining support facilities
  
• deal extra dangerous drugs such as methamphetamine to mine workers, mining management and hard-pressed mining community desperadoes, such as pub/hotel/bar/prostitution workers.
  

It has been noted in the past that when Green Guerillas broke into water-pumping stations (that relay precious water to mine-sites for toxic processing of toxic ore) and used sledge hammers to break and bust apparatus in these pumping stations, mining companies and all levels of government firmly came together to empower and employ motorcycle gangs to prevent the reoccurrence of such environmental defensive acts. Also, there have been heroic acts of sharpshooters, to plink at electricity insulators on high-voltage power lines, to disrupt electric power to high-volume mine sites, that caused many mining managers and executives to squeal in rabid anger, and vow and take revenge in any way possible. We are fortunate in one important way though : NATURE is undaunted in natural ways to disrupt, delay and, hopefully, destroy mining via "hard luck" conditions to include violent storms, deadly drought and wrecking of road and rail systems. And NATURE has arsenals of weapons that physical materialist mining humans would never guess to exist, such as exotic diseases, earth-shifting defensive behaviour and subliminal psychic warfare to disrupt mining communities. Motorcycle gangs are given fair warning: Steer clear of Mining, Military and other Mindless industries. They will be beds of extreme trouble for You and your kind in the Future and forever more. "What Goes Around Comes Around..." (e.g. 911)

Perth Pummeled Over $100 Million

To Mine is No Mind

People of Perth voted overwhelmingly to approve Plunder of resources such as massive eco destructive offshore gas fields and further wanton glutton theft of mineral ores from the most ancient slow-growth landscape in Australia.

So as this Plunder proceeded, there has been extreme Weather visiting West Australia:

1. 
   
   Deadly bone cracking drought
2. 
   
   Torrential storms attacking the main city of Plunder : Perth

Little did Invaders suspect that Wandjina were Watching and Waiting for just the right moment:

From WA Today:

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Perth wakes up to a $100m clean-up after storm of the year
March 22, 2010

The heavy rain caused a landslide at Kings Park, sending a river of mud cascading past Jacob's Ladder and down onto Mounts Bay Road, burying and crushing two cars. The landslide flooded the Adelphi and Waldorf apartment blocks with mud, causing 68 residents to be evacuated to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre overnight.
Engineers conducted a structural assessment this morning. City of Perth chief executive Frank Edwards said Jacob's Ladder would remain closed until further notice.
Structural damage to buildings in the city "appeared to be minimal," Mr Edwards said.
Urban search and rescue squads went through the building yesterday evening, amid fears one person was missing. However, that resident was located.
Major flooding was recorded on major roads throughout the city, including Marmion Avenue, the Mitchell Freeway, the Mt Lawley subway, Wanneroo Road and Pinjar Road.
Insurers swamped
The RAC has called on members making insurance claims to be patient.
WA's largest home and motor insurer said it had received 6000 claims today, with a value of more than $10 million.
RAC spokesman Glen Walker said early indications were that the damage could rival the storm of May 2005 - which was one of the worst to hit the State.
Mr Walker said fixing homes with structural damage was a priority and the RAC was doing everything it could to help members.
SGIO operations manager Sandra Robinson said the insurer had allocated builders to most badly damaged homes of its customers.
"SGIO will look to help co-ordinate emergency accommodation, where necessary, and we will coordinate builders and tradespeople to help our customers repair damage to their homes," she said.
HBF pleaded with members to email, rather than phone, despite doubling the number of call-takers, "to give those with urgent claims the chance to be helped first", general insurance general manager Steve Hollows said.
The insurer expected to make record payouts for repairs to car windscreens and home windows, and its nominated glazing suppliers were already operating at full capacity.
It encouraged members to locate their own supplier and arrange for repairs to broken windows and windscreens themselves, rather than wait until lodging a claim.
Building advisory service Archicentre said water-damaged buildings could take months to dry out.
"The natural tendency for people to renovate and redecorate as quickly as possible can lead to mould growth and the work having to be repeated," state manager Brad Cook said.
Westpac and St George banks have announced relief packages for customers affected by the storm, including deferring home loan repayments.
Hospitals, airports hit
Homes have been destroyed, with commercial property and infrastructure also damaged after the severe hail storm and 35mm of rain hit the city about 4pm yesterday.
Two storm fronts battered the northern suburbs before heading south towards the city.
An SES spokesman urged people with damage to their homes to call the helpline 132 500 only if the damage was so great they could not fix it themselves. Calls for assistance would be placed in a queue depending on their urgency.
Western Power is urging people to only ring 13 13 51 to report dangerous situations, with the organisation inundated with calls about power outages.
Planes were stranded at both Perth airports after the deluge caused parts of the terminal roof to collapse. Perth Airport and Qantas have confirmed that international and domestic flights returned to normal this morning.
The SES has had reports of structural damage to several major hospitals and aged care facilities, including Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and elective surgery has been cancelled at all hospitals today as a precaution.
Four hospitals are still on Code Yellow (internal emergency) - Royal Perth, SCGH, Swan Districts and Hollywood.
Health Department state coordinator Andy Robertson said most problems with hospitals had been fixed, with elective surgery to resume tomorrow, including at RPH and SCGH.
Schools closed
Several schools will remain closed tomorrow, among them Brookman Primary, years 8-11 at Duncraig Senior High, Lynwood Senior High, Heathridge Primary, kindergarten and pre-primary at Hollywood Primary, Mindarie Senior College, North Perth Primary, years 8-10 at Perth Modern School, Ocean Reef Senior High, Quinns Rocks Primary, Shenton and Tuart Colleges and Tuart Hill Primary.
Heathridge, Hollywood, Lynwood, Ocean Reef, Quinns Rocks, Shenton, and Tuart College will all remain closed for the rest of the week.
All the above schools were closed today, as was John XXIII College.
Eighty per cent of Shenton College classrooms were flooded and 70 per cent of Ocean Reef SHS had flooded, while ceilings have also collapsed there.
One of the libraries at the University of Western Australia was flooded, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars damage. Windows at historic Winthrop Hall were also blown out by the storm, and the University's theatre venues suffered extensive damage.
Parliament has not been spared from the storm either, with the Legislative Council committee office put out of action.Weather warnings
The storm that hit yesterday was one of the biggest in Perth for many years, with wind gusts of more than 120kmh and 40.2mm of rain falling in the Bureau of Meteorology's Mt Lawley rain gauge in the 24 hours since 9am yesterday.
Of that, 23.4mm fell in the 30 minutes after 5pm yesterday.
Other areas were even worse hit. Wanneroo received 62.8mm - about four times its average March rainfall - while Jarrahdale got 57.2mm, Gosnells 53mm, Anketell 48.8mm, Swanbourne 48mm and Perth Airport 41mm, including 19.8mm in seven minutes from 5.05pm yesterday.
The rainfall at the airport was the highest recorded there on a March day since records commenced in 1944.
Mr Bergin said it was a "very significant and rare storm, the worst we've seen in 16 years".
Cool air in the upper atmosphere drifted over WA during the end of the weekend, enhancing a surface trough that was already firing storms through the interior.
The rain has not given an expected much needed boost to the parched state's water supplies, with Water Corporation general manager of customer service Ashley Vincent saying that little had fallen in the dams supplying Perth.
However, the power cuts had led to breakdowns in pumps at some sewage stations, Corporation spokesman Phil Kneebone told Radio 6PR.
Perth had received a meagre 0.2mm of rainfall in the year to yesterday, and no significant rain had fallen in the city for 122 days.
The average rainfall for March is 21mm, but with the most recent downpour, Perth now has about its average amount for the first three months of the year.
- WA Today 22 March 2010

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WA Emergency Response
Emergency Response Units with 24hr assistance:
www.fesa.wa.gov.au