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Michael Thomas.
Submission to: WA Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation.
My submissions made via Lock The Gate & Frack Free Future are as addendum to this submission. This submission includes my concerns voiced to Philip Commander at the
inquiry’s public meeting in Dandaragan on 02/3/2018
Tabled at the Public meeting, Dandaragan on 02/3/2018. I welcome the WA Labor Governments inquiry into hydraulic fracturing and thank them for this opportunity to express my concerns with unconventional gas mining in this public meeting at Dandaragan. Firstly I would like to introduce myself. I am a 53 year old Australian Citizen who first came to Australia in 1988, migrating from Scotland to live here permanently in January 1995. I grew up in a small farming community and although I have tried several professions I always revert back to working on the land. I currently work for the City Of Swan as a team leader within the parks and reserves department. I have always regarded myself as someone who cares for the environment but it has only been in recent years that I have become more vocal and active in promoting the protection of Australia’s beautiful landscapes, wildlife, flora and communities. Myself, all at this table and a large number of Australians are aware of the quantity and quality of scientifically based submissions made to previous and current inquiries. These have been made by Doctors, Scientists, Professors and academics from industry. Here in Australia, and throughout the world the risks and impacts that the unconventional gas industry has on environment and health have all been previously stated and publicised by good people far more articulate, knowledgeable and educated than I. Knowing this, I will give my opinion on the impacts on community mental health and the human psyche leading to the rise of radical activism. In Queensland and New South Wales where the unconventional gas industry is forcing its hand we have seen significant conflict, disruption and social upheaval as a result. People have stated they have extreme feelings of injustice as they do not have the right to refuse land access to gas companies and that the industry is forcing itself on community. They have fears and anxiety about the much publicised health impacts, quality of drinking water and air pollutants. The images, such as these (Image 1 and 2 below), of pristine farmland and natural areas that have been turned into industrial sites with access roads, compressor stations, pipelines, flow-‐back ponds well heads and drill rigs send shudders of terror through their bodies as the imagine that on their own land that the have grown up on. They have great anger and a sense of betrayal that government is supporting industry rather than community and that the industry is pushing ahead rapidly with little regard to their concerns.
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A study on impacted communities in South West Queensland by Delwar Hossain, Don Gorman and 3 other prominent psychiatrists in 2013 concluded (in brief). “The rural communities in this region are under sustained stress resulting from the incursion of the mining and coal seam gas industries. This has an impact on community mental health and wellbeing” Link: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1039856212460287 Many more personal stories of anxiety and stress due to the impact on community from dealings with the gas industry can be seen in the film “Fractured Country. An Unconventional Invasion” This film also shows how communities are now forming alliances to actively discourage the development of further gasfields Link: https://youtu.be/XrE7LzZCn1E There are many more well made films, documentaries and televised news articles that depict the struggles community have when dealing with gas companies contemptuous, misleading and corrupt behaviours. A simple google search “Community against gas” reveals many articles. Here in rural WA, community is on edge. The gas industry is poised, ready in wait for the moratorium to end and government to give the green light to fracking in the Kimberley and here in Mid-‐West. It is here that population numbers are low and community fear that government may well sacrifice their vote in exchange for campaign donations. Anxiety, tension and stress is rising, they have watched the films, they have spoken with people of their own ilk in Chinchilla, Tara and Wilkie Creek they have listened to Helen Bender who’s father George took his own life during a bitter dispute with Origin Energy. But fortunately things are different this time, now these country folk around this table and in this room have friends, friends who reside in the city and are aware of their plight. Lessons learned from the Northern Rivers Bentley Blockade and James Price Point has instigated a large Grassroots network of people raising awareness of unconventional gas within the metro area, and with this there has been a dramatic increase in the number of West Australians who have been involved in Soft Protest. Tens of thousands on Face Book and other social media outlets voicing their concerns. Hundreds of people attending rallies in Perth such are the one outside the Labor conference last year. In suburbia where thousands of votes do count and where governments are elected or ousted, people are now connected to country. This is well known by industry and government, however there is also an undercurrent that little attention is given to in media and where no amount of “scientific” justification will quell. As community continues to be unheard with concerns barley validated by government. When a people are desperate to maintain their lifestyle and protect their families from an uncaring industry hell bent on expansion and making profit without compassion or responsibility, people will invariably turn to actions and protests with more impact. Australia, like the rest of the world is now witnessing daily Non Violent Direct Action protests against the gas and fossil fuel industry. People here in the Mid-‐West are also prepared to put their bodies on the line to stop their lands being destroyed by a needless industry. What also is a risk, is that should fracking be given the green light people in communities such as this will be exposed to radicalisation by Eco-‐Vigilante groups already active in Australia.
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Soft and Non-‐Violent Direct Action protests may well be a slight disruption to corporations and an annoyance to government, but Eco-‐Vigilantes’ will not only threaten the stability of the WA government but that of our entire country’s economy. WA’s sprawling gas infrastructure is by no means secure from “monkey wrenching” Some strong words here, and some may be thinking “not here in WA” But a point our government should take heed, Australia is now the focus of international environmental protection groups. My belief the only way to mitigate this threat and maintain harmonious communities throughout WA, is by a clear message from WA Labor. Ban Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation permanently, now. Thank you for your time. Further to this tabled submission to the inquiry please also see more scientific based concerns below. Image1. Unconventional Gasfield. Queensland (Presented at Dandaragan)
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Image2. Unconventional Gasfield. Wyoming, USA. (Presented at Dandaragan)
Further comments for consideration.
Further to my comments regarding the vast number of well-‐educated people who have here in WA, elsewhere in Australia and throughout the world conducted scientific studies and in-‐depth observations on the impacts of unconventional gas, I do feel that attempting to write and portray my understanding of the industry is best done in bulleted statements with links to studies which I base my statements and sentiments on.
• Community does not want Unconventional Gas.
Over 450 Australian communities have declared themselves “Gasfield Free” Here in WA 20 communities have been extensively surveyed with a resounding NO to fracking being the outcome. Many countries and individual local governments have banned hydraulic fracking or have stated they do not wish it in their area. https://www.facebook.com/cwawacapel/?fref=ts http://www.lockthegate.org.au/go_mining_free https://www.dontfrackwa.com.au/ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-‐03-‐01/anti-‐csg-‐activists-‐go-‐global-‐with-‐the-‐bentley-‐effect/8314080
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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-‐03-‐17/south-‐east-‐sa-‐dairy-‐farmers-‐reject-‐gas-‐exploration-‐proposal/8359398 https://www.facebook.com/KnittingNannasAgainstGas/
• Huge amounts of chemicals used in fracking.
Between 0.5 and 2% of fracking fluid consists of chemicals. When a single frack uses over 9million litres of fluid this amounts to an enormous quantity of chemical being used. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1307866/
• It contaminates and depletes our water.
With an estimated 40,000 wells projected for WA and each frack using between 9million and 34million litres of water and each well requiring multiple fracks to maintain flow rate, the drain on our water recourses is staggering. After fracking this water and chemical must be stored and disposed of, it is here that spills occur and thus contamination of land and waterways is at risk. https://www.epa.gov/hfstudy https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1cEvov1OlyHdzRBRjk4dElfbVE/edit?pli=1 https://hero.epa.gov/hero/index.cfm/reference/details/reference_id/2253172 http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.6b05749?journalCode=esthag https://nicholas.duke.edu/about/news/ContaminationinNDLinkedtoFrackingSpills Llewellyn G. T., Dorman, F, Westland, J. L., Yoxtheimer, D., Grieve, P. Sowers, T., Brantley, S. L. (2015). Evaluating a groundwater supply contamination incident attributed to Marcellus Shale gas
• It Pollutes our air and makes people sick.
A wide variety of dangerous air pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, silica dust and a multitude of evaporating chemicals and volatile organic compounds from the flowback holding ponds and drilling process. People living and working in the vicinity of unconventional gas wells have experienced nervous system impacts such as Peripheral Neuropathy, caused by exposure to VOC’s and Hydrogen Sulphide. Birth defects and harm to the developing foetus, caused by exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons(PAHs). Blood disorders, high levels of Benzene causing permanent damage to blood-‐forming organs resulting in harm bone marrow and anaemia. Cancer, Benzene, Formaldehyde, PAHs and many other chemicals used in the fracking process are known carcinogens. Repeated or chronic exposure to these pollutants greatly increase the risk of cancer. Condensate tanks, pipelines, compressor stations, wellheads, even the ground leaks methane gas. 6% of gas wellheads leak immediately and over 50% will leak within 15 years. All wells will leak eventually. Methane gas is 80x worse (on 20yr time frame) than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3984231/ http://www.health.ny.gov/press/reports/docs/high_volume_hydraulic_fracturing.pdf http://www.cbu.ca/wp-‐content/uploads/2015/10/hfstudy-‐energy-‐well-‐integrity.pdf http://energy.unimelb.edu.au/library/a-‐review-‐of-‐current-‐and-‐future-‐methane-‐emissions http://www.psehealthyenergy.org/data/NYS_DEC_Proposed_REGS_comments_Ingraffea_Jan_2013.pdf
