SORE ®

Recently I approached Santos with a request to take water samples of my stock and domestic bore, for testing and logging of condition.

 I have 3 Pilot Production Well sets and one Production Core Hole and all associated infrastructure, including Drill ponds and CS Water Storage Dams 2000 meters away from my house and Bore, so to me testing of the Aquifers is of the utmost importance. Eastern Star Gas had no interest in doing any testing for Aquifer quality.

When the Santos water people rang I asked many questions, I listened to the answers to my questions about the process, and I was impressed, that is up until I said ” I wanted my water tested the water for Bi- Carbonates, and I wanted mine to be listed as Sodium Bi-Carbonate (Baking Soda) and not Calcium Bi-Carbonate”. 

Sodium Bi-Carbonate is the major salt bought up from the Coal Seams so it stands to reason that an increase in that level would indicate problems with either the Well or the process of Production and Water transfer or the just plain sloppiness of the Companies Workforce and all this causes Aquifer Contamination.
To say that that did not go down well with Santos, but this is my land and livelihood so I deserve to have a test that will assist in giving an early warning should problems arise. 

Santos if you have nothing to hide: Why are you so against doing the test for Sodium Bi-Carbonate? After all the Coal Seam Gas Industry and APPEA is constantly telling us that Sodium Bi-Carbonate (Baking Soda) is OK because it is used in our food and for medical purposes. So why the resistance to a simple request? What is Santos hiding, what do they know about this seemingly harmless food quality chemical?
Sodium Bi-Carbonate is a killer Chemicals, yes in small doses it is required for all life, but in the quantities bigger than grams IT KILLS and is ALKALINE, so if it does not kill you one way, it will the other by changing the pH (alkalinity) value of the soil. Too much change and the crops/grasses and trees growing in that area will die, keep increasing the dose of Sodium Bi-Carbonate and the ground becomes sterile and will support nothing, just like a desert. 

In Christmas 2009/2010 all the Drill ponds were over-topped by the rains of that time and the contents of the ponds overflowed onto the area of the Pilot Production, through the native vegetation on that private land and eventually found their way via the natural water courses into Jacks Creek and the Naomi River. (see sore article called “12-Jan-2010″).

 These drill ponds contained Potassium Chloride, Sodium Salts, Sodium Bi-Carbonate (see ESG Media release on Mollee Creek Spill) and other chemicals that Eastern Star Gas’ driller Lucas Drilling used, as well as the salts and heavy metals bought up from the Coal Seams below, chief amongst them is Sodium Bi-Carbonate (Baking Soda). Now Sodium Bi-Carbonate is in small doses required for the survival of life.However in large doses it KILLS, and as the water of the Coal seams in this area have at least 7340 parts per million (ppm), this is a concern if it gets into the Aquifer system. This salt dissolves into water more readily than most and hence travels further and faster than the other salts found in the Coal Seam Water once it enters the Aquifers.

As it is not found in the Aquifers located in the Pilliga State Forest region as a natural compound, if found in the Stock and domestic bores and other bores tested, then it is a good indication that something is wrong with the process of containing and treating the coal seam water.

Sodium Bi-Carbonate is also Alkaline in nature, so it will change the very nature of the soils in the area and hence have a permanent effect on the Vegetation of the Region and hence the whole biodiversity of the area known as the Pilliga East State Forest.
You only have to look at the Independent analysis of the latest Discharge that occurred at Santos’  Bibblewindi Water Treatment and Gas gathering Complex. Santos claimed that it was only the Water from the Coal Seams, well if the water from these seams can change the natural soils pH. value from 5.3 (Acid) to 9.9 (Alkaline) then all the areas where coal Seam Gas extraction occurs are doomed never to be any good for ever more.

Forget the co-existance with Farming or Grazing, because nothing grows when watered by this Water and that is a proven fact. Come and see the earliest and latest Discharges as well as those in-between, that have occured in the Pilliga State Forest of NSW Australia.

SANTOS EASTERN STAR GAS MAY HAVE STARTED YOUR INDONESIA IN AUSTRALIA, BUT YOU ARE ADDING TO IT. SANTOS THE PILIGA STATE FOREST IS YOUR INDONESIA IN AUSTRALIA.

 The Namoi Water Study, if it was not so serious it would be indeed a great Comedy.

Since September of 2011, I have been reading the Namoi Water Study and the only conclusion I can come up with is that this study was set to give a verdict that would favour the Gas and Coal Industries, appease some of the Farmers in Politically Sensitive areas and screw the rest.

The rot in the Final Phase 2 Report, dated August 2011, by the Independent Expert and gas miner Schlumberger, is mainly, at least from my point of view, centered around the information supplied by Eastern Star Gas, which is so obviously misleading as to beggar belief why so many are willing to defend and push for this study to go through. What is their agenda ?

None of the misleading information has been addressed to date (5-2-2012) and, as I told Santos on December 7th. 2011, it is not simply a matter of informing the Independent Expert Schlumberger of the errors, that time has passed and Santos would have read the report that came out in August 2011 and did not raise objections or even notice the mistakes until it was bought to their attention in November and December 2011, and if they did see the misleading information, and did nothing about it.

 Well what sort of a Company are they really ?

 As I told Santos on December 7th 2011 ” It is now not a simple matter of saying to the Independent Expert Schlumberger, that a mistake has been made. That time has gone, Santos now needs to do a full, thorough and comprehensive study of all Eastern Star Gas supplied information, and this should be done by a totally Independent body whose findings should be open to full public scrutiny before being added to the Namoi Water Study. This is the only way that this study will get some form of meaningful credence. If that holds the Study up for a while, so be it, but is not the truth worth the wait ?”  

Do I think that the honest truth will be presented to the Namoi Water Study-NO, I certainly do not think it ever will.

 As I have quoted before and will qute again a saying “It is easier to believe a simple lie than the complex truth”.

I have put up part of my Supplementary Submission to the NSW No. 5 Inquiry into Coal Seam Gas held last year (the reference to SAG {Stakeholders Advisory Group} is included, this group was set up to advise one of the sub groups of the Namoi Water Study, confused? I do not blame you I was and I resigned from the group as soon as it became apparent that there was a lot of  NIMBY attitudes within this body) . As you can see there are many questions and as yet no one has answered one of them to me, even though they were asked 4 months ago. The link is at the bottom of this article, left click on it.

There is also a reference to the honesty of Santos in its Share Holder reporting, the Well locations for the Dewhurst wells, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17H and 18H, are wrong, Surat!. No, these Dewhurst wells are on and go through the GAB Southern Recharge. Truth in all things, please.

It is my considered opinion that this Inquiry has been set up to deliver only a favourable result for the Government and the Miners and hence it will fail in its perceived objective “FAIRNESS”, and fail it will because of the non aggressive nature of those who sit on it.

 Appeasement does not work, it only buys time for the Mining Companies and the Government.

GET SERIOUS AND POINT OUT THE FLAWS IN THE SYSTEM AND TO HELL WITH THOSE NIMBY’S (not in my back yarders) WHO WANT TO RELY ON THE TOTALLY FLAWED AND CORRUPT PROCESS. THEY ONLY WANT TO SAVE THEIR OWN AREAS AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER AREAS.

09-11-08 Supplementary Submission to State CSG Inquiry 

In reports to the NSW Department of Trade and Investment (DTII or the old DII or the older DPI) made on the 16th. January 2012 and the 22nd. January 2012, were locations of more “black tar-like stains” associated with what looks like spilt a petroleum product as the soil around these stains has an oily appearance. these locations within the Pilliga East State Forest of NSW Australia, are as follows : Bohena 6, Bohena 7, Bohena 3, the north and south side of the Bohena Evaporation ponds and into the State Forest, Bibblewindi 22 and the Eastern side of Bohena Creek Road on  the Northern Gas line to Wiliga Park power Station.

Senior Santos Employees were shown all the sites except the Bohena 3 “stains” which had not become evident when I conducted a tour of the Environmental ly Damaged areas with them on January 4th 2012, that the previous Licence holders especially Eastern Star Gas had caused. The reaction of the Santos people was one of complete disbelief that this damage could have been allowed to go unnoticed by either the Administrating Government Authority, the Company Executives, and the Company Employees in the field, and yet it had, despite reports to the NSW Government Department responsible for protecting the Environment the Dept. of Trade and Investment Maitland NSW. State Forests have to bare blame as well for what has happened within their Administered State Forest, they did nothing when reports were made to them either, and when they did investigate, the findings were always favourable toward the Gas Company Eastern Star Gas.  

The reaction of the NSW Department of Trade and Investment Maitland NSW beggars belief, in a reply to the first report of other tar like  locations, a senior official of that department stated in an email, and I quote :
The incident, cause and effect of “black tar like substance” in the State Forest are inconclusive in your photos and stated observations, but will be assessed in this Department’s continuing investigations of your complaint of 4-1-2012 concerning “black tar like substance”. please note that this relates to and is a continuation of the Department’s current investigations of a complaint (by others) 0n 28-10-1011 of tree deaths at the Bibblewindi water facility.

The problem with what the Senior Official from the DTII has stated above, is that that Investigation was concluded on the 7-11-11 with a finding that the Trees had died due to “Water logging”, and was caused by the flooding events of 2010. Well, I have photographs as well as video taken in early 2011 and it shows no trees in the area between the Dam and the RO Plant were ”dying” and certainly no “water logging”. This NSW Government Offical, does what his bosses tell him to do. Ignore any claims that may embarrass the Government of NSW when it comes to the Coal Seam Gas Industry. It is also funny that the new State Forest Ranger in charge of the Pilliga State Forest came up with the “water logging” excuse for the “Kill” of trees, and he had not seen the site as yet.

But I digress, but only to make the point that the DTII have as their main agenda,to push through the Coal Seam Gas Industry at all speed and to cover their own inaction and incompetence as best as possible as it is more convenient to try to group all the complaints into one neat package in one area. Well that it not good enough, Eastern Star Gas was subject to a large number of Environmental Complaints and was never investigated fully, nor were the complaints acknowledged as they should have been, nor was the complainant (me) ever asked for further proof in regards to photographs and video tapes, of which there are over 500 photos and 3 hours of video just from December 30th 2011 (the Kill) through to January 20th 2012 ( the appearance of tar like deposits in other areas).
The Senior DTII Official at Maitland was sent, in a response to his return Email of January 16th  2012, a long description of the ”black tar like substance” at other locations and on January 22nd 2012 another site was added to the list, as well a request to look into the Quantity and Quality of the Spill that Santos had had and reported, even though they say they were not required to do so because of its small size (200/250 litres). It all sounds like one big cover-up for a much larger discharge of very nasty and highly Environmentally Damaging waters from the Water Treatment Facility in December 2011, most probable date around the 22-12-11. I have not received any official reply to any of my emails as yet, and all have reached their destinations, none have been returned.

There is more to this deliberate cover-up to come.

The DTII claim to have samples taken by the NSW Soil Conservation Service and are being advised by them as to the best methoid of remedation. If that is so, then why has nothing been done and where is the publically available Information on these tests?

I was present when Soil and Water samples were taken according to standards for the Environmental movement, and filmed the event.

Santos claims to have taken their own Soil and Water samples, but we know the history of  any Company based sampling, it is a matter of public record, both State and Federal records back me up here (see receint Inquiries into CSG Mining and REF’s).  Employees of Santos who were employees of Eastern Star Gas and who may be involved in any part of the testing process cannot, by their previous deceptions, be trusted and their results cannot be trusted. Even when on official Environmental Laboratory Letter Heads (see article “Eastern Star Gas leaves its mark on a Senate Inquiry” posted 1-1-2012) they were deceptively misleading, and what about the Soil and Water samples that the DTII took in 2011 after the complaint of October 2011, where are they?

Yes. there is more to come on this and it will be damaging.

I have to ask, WHY ARE  THOSE EMPLOYEES OF SANTOS, THAT WERE EMPLOYED BY EASTERN STAR GAS, AND MUST HAVE SEEN THE ADMITTED DISCHARGE OF JUNE 26th  2011 AND DID NOT REPORT IT AS REQUIRED BY LAW, STILL WORKING IN THE COAL SEAM GAS INDUSTRY ?     

There are too many Politicians past and present whose entire careers will go up in smoke if the real truth about the total lack of Environmental Control and the Ineffectual Policing of the Coal Seam Gas Industry, ever became public knowledge.

SANTOS BY YOUR INABILITY TO CONTOL YOUR OWN WORKFORCE YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT YOU ARE A FULL AND WIILLING PARCIPANT IN MAKING THE PILLIGA STATE FOREST OF NSW YOUR INDONESIA IN AUSTRALIA