Massive environmental disaster in QLD

Thank god Queensland is pro-development and pro-business unlike those pansy ass southern states:

Hundreds of square kilometres of prime agricultural land in southeast Queensland are at risk from a cocktail of toxic chemicals and explosive gases, according to a secret State Government report.

A study commissioned by Queensland's environment department says an experimental plant operated by mining company Linc Energy at Chinchilla, west of Brisbane, is to blame and has already caused "irreversible" damage to strategic cropping land.

The 335-page experts' report, obtained by the ABC, has been disclosed to Linc but not to landholders.

It says gases released by Linc's activities at its underground coal gasification plant at Hopeland have caused the permanent acidification of the soil near the site.

Experts also found concentrations of hydrogen in the soil at explosive levels and abnormal amounts of methane, which they say is being artificially generated underground, over a wide area.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-10/linc-energy-secret-report-reveals-toxic-chemical-risk/6681740

Gosh. The ink on the China FTA is barely dry and we've already started importing their environmental policies.

Just wait till the mining companies declare bankruptcy and have the cost of remediation for tax payers.

sydboy007 said:

Gosh. The ink on the China FTA is barely dry and we've already started importing their environmental policies.

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This slightly pre-dates the China FTA,

"In August 2007, Linc injected air into the coal seam to create a connection between its G2 production and injection bores.

"Not only was the pressure high enough to fracture the coal seam, it was also high enough to fracture the overburden.

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-10/linc-energy-key-findings/6681938

What an absolute disaster.. Makes me feel sick to the core.

Years ago I believed in Linc's technology and execution. It seemed like a great idea with the chance to create clean CO2 free energy.

If the report is accurate I think the management of Linc will be lucky to escape bankruptcy and jail time. It also brings into questions the other fracking technologies that also seem to risk irreversible damage to our soil and water.

The environmentalists were totally right after all. The risk is just too great and the industry is too greedy to trust.

banco said:

Thank god Queensland is pro-development and pro-business unlike those pansy ass southern states:

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Exactly, The polies who took bribes, err sorry, organised this should be proud to pick up their pay checks every month and collect their well earned Super at the end of the day along with the interest earned on their "gifts" while in office.

drsmith said:

This slightly pre-dates the China FTA,



http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-10/linc-energy-key-findings/6681938

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i knew I should have put /sarc at the end

basilio said:

It also brings into questions the other fracking technologies that also seem to risk irreversible damage to our soil and water.

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There's a significant difference between hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas (which has been around a lot longer than most seem to realise) verus setting coal on fire underground and hoping to capture the partly burnt gases.

Hydraulic fracturing - a means to extract oil and/or gas that is already present.

Underground coal gasification - literally burning coal as such in order to produce a gas, then processing that to end up with liquid fuels.

Linc was doing the latter, others are generally doing the former.

That's not to say there's no risk, I'm just pointing out the very different technology being used.

I had an interest in Linc at one point and held a few shares but gave up on it years ago as certain aspects of the company's operations just didn't feel right to me. In short it was too much effort going into promotional stunts (for a company with no actual product to sell) and not enough focus on the actual technology and operation. It's one thing for someone like McDonald's or even an airline to engage in elaborate marketing, they have an actual product available for sale to the public, but it's another thing when junior minerals companies with nothing to sell start doing that sort of thing.

The final straw for me was Linc trying to promote Australian oil shale (that's hard rock that has to be mined, completely different to the "shale oil" being successfully extracted in the USA) as equivalent to the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia. That's about as ridiculous as saying that a 2 tonne pile of iron ore is the same thing as a Mercedes car and as such is worth $100K (or however much a Mercedes costs). No, it's not even close to being the same thing just as oil shale isn't oil.

sydboy007 said:

i knew I should have put /sarc at the end

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A little more homework at the beginning might have been a better alternative.