The Australian: When Tap Water Catches Fire

Posted on November 5th, 2010 by mt

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US filmmaker Josh Fox has a cautionary tale for the growing obsession with coal-seam gas.

Fox’s documentary GasLand reports how lax environmental regulations have unleashed a modern-day goldrush across the US that has polluted underground water supplies and poisoned the air with a cocktail of toxic chemicals that companies have not been forced to disclose.

There is footage of residents setting fire to water from their kitchen taps, and of drinking water supplies that turn to plastic when heated with a blowtorch.

GasLand has received widespread critical acclaim, including the Lennon Ono Grant for Peace, but sparked furious denials by big US gas corporations.

Fox arrives on Monday to promote the documentary’s local release, aware of controversy over the rollout of coal-seam gas exploration and development in southeast Queensland and NSW.

Fox told The Weekend Australian his documentary contained many lessons for Australia, particularly in relation to the possible impacts of gas production on land use, air and water quality.

Rosemary Nankivell, who is leading a campaign against gas production on the Liverpool Plains in NSW, said there were particular concerns about the preservation of agricultural land and avoiding the contamination of ground water and lowering of the water table.

Coal-seam gas is a boom industry in southeast Queensland, where Environment Minister Tony Burke says he has imposed more than 300 strict conditions each on the Santos and Queensland Gas Company projects to help protect groundwater-dependent species and minimise other environmental impacts.

A spokesman for Mr Burke said that unlike in the US, the industry would be forced to disclose all of the individual chemicals used inthe process to liberate gas using a process known as hydraulic fracturing.

GasLand explains how 596 chemicals and millions of litres of water are used to recover gas from shale seams, posing a risk to the health of residents who live nearby.

Graham Lloyd, Environment | The Australian | Sat Nov 06, 2010