{"id":169521,"date":"2017-02-10T15:49:17","date_gmt":"2017-02-10T05:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=169521"},"modified":"2020-08-13T18:04:20","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T08:04:20","slug":"mp-calms-soil-contamination-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2017\/02\/10\/mp-calms-soil-contamination-fears\/","title":{"rendered":"MP Calms Soil Contamination Fears"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 10, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

The State Government has emphasised that “general farm work” has not been affected in the Chinchilla area despite hydrogen gas being located in the soil.<\/p>\n

Three new areas of contamination, likely linked to Linc Energy’s controversial underground coal gasification \u00a0(UCG),\u00a0plant were revealed earlier this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the moment we became aware of contamination in this region, in February 2015, my Department has continued to undertake soil testing and drilling,” Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles said on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to ensure the local landholders are kept informed at all times about what we\u2019re doing on the land, the extent of the contamination we\u2019ve found, and the nature of the impacts that this contamination may have on them.”<\/p>\n

He said EHP officers had been visiting landholders on Friday and a call centre had also been set up to help explain the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the outset let me stress that the preliminary results we have received from testing up to December last year show no new contaminants.”<\/p>\n

However, Dr Miles said testing had detected the presence of hydrogen below ground on land outside the present excavation caution zone.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Any issues this may create are manageable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Dr Miles said the government\u2019s most recent testing was at 70 locations outside the excavation caution zone, 58 conducted on State land and 12 on private land.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am advised that preliminary results showed elevated levels of hydrogen on three of those private properties and we have moved immediately to ensure the landholders concerned are made aware of what this means to them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur testing continues to confirm that human health is not impacted and neither are local water supplies, air quality or agricultural products.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are saying to landholders that if hydrogen is confirmed on their properties, any excavation or similar work below a depth of two metres should be undertaken with due care and attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneral farm work is not, and never has been impacted.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The hydrogen gas dissipates quickly once it is exposed to open air.<\/p>\n

Dr Miles said scientific analysis has already established that the gas was associated with combustion processes and was not associated with coal seam gas development.<\/p>\n

Dr Miles said EHP would continue its testing program in the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are working hard to measure the scope of the contamination and to make sure the community is continually advised of where we are testing and what results we have received,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said results from initial \u201crapid assessment\u201d phase resulted in the present excavation caution zone, approximately 320sq km in size, being established.<\/p>\n

The caution zone does not ban excavations, it simply advises individuals wishing to excavate to take precautions before doing so.<\/p>\n

\u201cEHP is consulting with experts, including scientists from the Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation and relevant universities, to determine the best way forward from here and we will ensure the local community is kept informed of these plans,” Dr Miles said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thank landholders in the area for their patience as we continue to investigate and conduct further tests to better characterise the extent of contamination.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government has also been in direct contact with the Mayor Paul McVeigh, and local MP Ann Leahy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n