Hello and welcome to the blog and today a fairly 'dot point' presentation to restore the balance of yesterday's rather frivolous effort...so let's go...
No Fracking Idea: In a previous post re Fracking I made the observation that Liberal Mitch Williams had been on the ABC/BBC? openly declaring his party's support for Fracking...which is why I was so surprised when various 'Liberals', including Barney McCusker and Federal Member Tony Pasin claimed (at the Greenrise Lake demo held right opposite the drilling site a fortnight ago) that we had to blame and/or get rid of the Labor state government.
It's exactly the same as the Forestry Sale issue, where the Liberals had a bit of a bleat about it, and a couple of Liberal promotional rallies masquerading as Anti-Forestry Sale meetings, but did virtually nothing to actually stop it, and the moment it happened they all went 'oh, gee whiz, too bad, it's all over, never mind, let's move on."...many people, myself included, believe that Liberals would have done The Sale as well...one hopes that they wouldn't have blown it all on a ludicrous project like the Adelaide Oval, but we'll never know.
In The Border Watch Wednesday 5th 2014, the Member for McKillop Mr Williams openly flaunts what is either his gross ignorance of the facts, or his pro-Fracking commitment that then drives him to deliberately misrepresent the facts...whilst deliberate deceit and wanton denial is clearly worse than abject ignorance, either way the result's the same, he supports Fracking...at best, his opinion seems to have been 'cut and pasted' from the Beach Energy pamphlet.
It is simplistic and ignoring the current 'development free-for-all' political climate of South Australia as our economy spirals out of control toward god only knows where, to even suggest that there will be anything other than a big Green Light for extracting that gas when they get through the 4km drilling...Beach Energy themselves have explained that previous gas extraction has been of the gas trapped in pockets that has seeped up from the gas-bearing shale/rock far below...they know the shale is there and that's what they're after.
It is not rational to suggest that the environment is going to get any consideration in stopping development when we are borrowing money to pay state wages and there's nothing left to sell off, and manufacturing is all but dead...and my favourite catch-phrase, 'we've got to get rid of all the Green Tape holding up development'...and with the completely non-qualified (Labor's) Mia Handshin at the head of the Environmental Protection Authority...it means a Green Light to everything....
Particularly deceitful, and I find it impossible to believe that it's a deceit born of ignorance, is when Mr Williams states that there's been gas extraction around Penola for years and "we've never had any problems"...and not just one denial or one deceit, but deceit upon denial with a clear agenda...indeed, the article is titled "Safe history of gas collection in South East eases regional parliamentarian's concerns."
Mr Williams is allegedly absolutely ignorant to the clear and immediate differences between the gas extraction that has occurred previously and what is proposed/imminent...some dot points...
1) past gas drilling has been relatively very shallow, not 4km deep;
2) there are currently issues with some of those drill holes, eg, collapsing/eroding around the outside
of the capping pipe...
3) 'Fracking' involves not a single vertical shaft but horizontal drilling 1km out from the central shaft...
4) previous extraction has been of 'pure' gas trapped under pressure that was effectively 'tapped' and
drawn off...there was no pumping chemicals and sand deep underground to fracture the rock and
'release' the gas...and therefore virtually no chance of contamination/pollution;
5) combining 3) and 4) means that chemicals are spread out over a wide area;
6) this shaft is going through 2 aquifers and the rock currently separating them;
7) there was minimal use of groundwater for 'pure' gas extraction, Fracking requires millions of litres;
8) Fracking will involve large tailings ponds full of contaminated sludge, that are vulnerable to collapse, flooding, etc, and in that situation there will be immediate and massive contamination of the Aquifer;
9) the areas seismic activity places any shaft (or tailings pond) under immediate and constant threat, let alone one that goes through so many different stratas.
The immediate weakest link in the 'capping of the shaft' is the seismic threat, but erosion down (as currently happening with some shafts in the area), and/or seepage of chemicals upward on the outside of the 'capping' is a guaranteed problem...there will be contamination of the Aquifer...it may take a month or a decade but it will happen...and it only takes one small problem with that shaft, one small leak of chemicals and the damage is done...more tomorrow...
I Be Wildered: as everyone else who cannot understand how the 'Autofest Burnout Thingy' (sorry, don't know it's proper title) received approval to be held at the Mt Gambier Showgrounds, which is surrounded by residential areas. I was walking the dog up near the Hoo Hoo Lookout one day it was on, and you could hear it clear as a bell, and see the large clouds of smoke drifting off toward houses to the South West...I sure as heck wouldn't want to be anywhere near it.
I've read several letters in The Border Watch and heard plenty of chatter about how inappropriate this event is, particularly the issue of the smoke which contains many chemical compounds that are dangerous individually, let alone in combination...if you choose to pay money to go and stand in that toxic smoke, that's your business, but it is not appropriate to subject others to that muck.
And it's very similar to the issue of multiple chemical application with 'Fracking' where numerous chemicals are used that have often not been fully tested as individual compounds, and not tested at all in combination.
This 'Burnout Thingy' is not appropriate in the heart of the city and I cannot understand how it has Council approval, environmental approvals, etc...true, it's not really my sort of thing, but I know a couple of people who go to the drags, etc, and love it...and all of these 'auto' events can be very loud for the neighbours, but there isn't the pollution issue as with burnouts...there's no need to cancel the event, but it must be found a more appropriate site away from population centres.
Ice, Ice Baby: Oh, and the Winter Olympics has started...
Tomorrow: Yet more Fracking and Council's latest shenanigans
Council has a brave new plan that apparently cannot see that which is happening all around it...oh, and I do some agreeing with Councillor/Labor candidate Jim Maher.
I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters...
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