Wollombi Valley Against Gas Extraction

Date: 31-May-10
Author: Hunter Valley Protection Alliance
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After months of trying to convince AGL Energy that they should tie up their land at Broke so that an industrial complex could never be built on it - the CEO and Managing Director of AGL Energy Michael Fraser has refused, saying "AGL has no intention of placing a restrictive covenant over any freehold land owned by AGL, nor do we have any intention to do so voluntarily either now or in the future."  Well, that's pretty definite isn't it?  Even though he does instruct us that we "should assume nothing from" his response.

This is what AGL Energy will want to construct next to the Broke village:

This is a Google photograph of the AGL Energy Camden Gasworks:

This is a photograph of the AGL Energy Camden Gasworks on the ground:

Just another step in the environmental sacrifice of the Hunter Valley, continued by AGL Energy and aided and abetted by Minister Ian Macdonald and his Government - without environmental assessment; without concern as to the impacts on the environment, the community, on agriculture or the production of food, or the purity of the air.

Below is listed just some of the chemicals which are used in the fracturing of coal seams by the likes of AGL Energy when attempting to extract coal seam methane gas. Is this what we want in the Hunter Valley?

The Government must agree to a full environmental assessment of the Hunter, looking at the impact of all industries. Minister Macdonald has straight out refused; Ministers Kelly and Sartor are yet to grant us an audience, although lengthy submissions have been made to each of them.

PO Box 120 Broke NSW 2330
www.huntervalleyprotectionalliance.com
May, 2010.
Tel: 02 6579 1062

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Fraccing fluids used by CSM extractors:

• Aromatic Hydrocarbons (a small list of chemicals in frac fluids) benzene naphthalene, naphthalene, 2-ethoxy, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, cumene, ethyl benzene, toluene, dodecylbenzene, xylene
• benzene,
• toluene,
• ethylbenzene and xylene or BTEX;
• naphthalene and related derivatives,
• trimethylbenzene,
• diethylbenzene, dodecylbenzene, cumene).

Effects on the body:

• BTEX compounds are associated with adverse effects on the nervous system, liver, kidneys and blood-cell-forming tissues.
• Benzene has been associated with an increased risk of leukemia in industrial workers who breathed elevated levels of the chemical over long periods of time in workplace air.
• Exposure to high levels of xylene has damaged the unborn offspring of laboratory animals exposed during pregnancy.
• Naphthalene is associated with adverse effects on red blood cells when people consumed naphthalene mothballs or when infants wore cloth nappies stored in mothballs. Laboratory animals breathing naphthalene vapors for their lifetimes had damage to their respiratory tracts and increased risk of nasal and lung tumors.

Link to Frac compounds and the adverse health affects (4.5MB PDF)