11 Mar 2014

The Greens have yet again shown their willingness to mislead the public in their efforts to undermine Australia’s natural gas industry.

APPEA’s Chief Operating Officer Western Region Stedman Ellis said Western Australian MLC Robin Chapple was clearly ignoring the facts with his latest call for a ban on hydraulic fracturing.

Mr Ellis said the Greens MP was wrong to link fraccing in WA to a recent incident in New South Wales where leakage from a decommissioned containment pond had resulted in slightly elevated levels of trace elements in localised groundwater.

The NSW EPA found that the environmental impact from the leak was low and that there was no threat to humans or animals.

“The Greens have a political agenda to shut down Australia’s natural gas industry and deny our nation the jobs, investment and energy security it provides,” Mr Ellis said.

“Robin Chapple’s latest claims show a willingness to exaggerate and mislead in an effort to undermine an industry that puts the health and safety of people and the environment at the core of its operations.

“The incident in the NSW Pilliga Forest was not caused by fraccing. It was the result of a leak which developed in a holding pond built by the previous operator of a coal seam gas operation.

“Santos, the current operator, reported the leak to NSW regulators, has accepted the $1500 fine imposed by the EPA, and has decommissioned the containment pond and is building new treatment facilities and rehabilitating the area.

“The actions of Santos show that the Australian oil and gas industry takes its responsibility to the environment very seriously.

“It’s a shame that the Greens and Mr Chapple don’t show a similar commitment to the truth.” Download PDF

Media Contact

Kieran MurphyMobile: 0408 151 922Email: >[email protected]