IN response to “where are the gas controls” (The Border Mail, September 3), it is worth noting NSW has some of the toughest controls on coal seam gas in Australia including:
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- A two-kilometre exclusion zone around residential and village areas;
- Banning harmful BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene compounds) chemicals;
- Introducing an aquifer interference policy;
- Codes of practice for well integrity and fracture stimulation; and
- Banning evaporation ponds.
In addition, there are four agencies which regulate the industry.
They are the Office of Coal Seam Gas, the Environment Protection Authority, the NSW Office of Water and the Department of Planning and Environment.
As such, all companies wanting to extract CSG in NSW face rigorous assessment of any proposed activities, as well as standards relating to compliance, environmental diligence, safety, financial and technical capacity and a high level of community consultation.
For example, the Office of Coal Seam Gas obtained advice from the Environment Protection Authority, the office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Office of Water, the Department of Primary Industries and an independent expert before approving AGL’s Fracture Stimulation Management Plan at Gloucester.
If fracking is required on a site, and in many instances wells do not need to be fracked, the plan addresses all relevant issues such as geology, hydrology, permeability of the coal seam, fracturing details (including location, time and duration), fracture design, fracture growth predictions, fracking fluids to be used and in what quantities, water management and monitoring plans, as well as risk assessment and mitigation plans.
It is worth noting that the technique of fracture stimulation has been used for many decades, even in Australia.
This includes NSW, where the Camden Gas Project has fracture stimulated more than 80 per cent of its 144 gas wells since 2001.
I would encourage anyone wanting to better understand the risks and controls associated with this industry to visit www.resourcesandenergy.nsw.gov.au/landholders-and-community/coal-seam-gas/office-of-coal-seam-gas.
— KYLIE HARGREAVES,
NSW Trade and Investment
