Contact : Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith PhD (Law) Senior Advisor, National Toxics Network Inc. / IPEN info@ntn.org.au www.ntn.org.au www.facebook.

com/ntn

Unconven'onal Gas: Shared Environmental Health Concerns

Shared Environmental Health Concerns

Water contamination of aquifers / bores, release of waste water aquifer draw down / water equity Chemicals - identity - quantities - mixtures fracking & drilling fluids Air pollution - flaring, venting, leaks VOCs CFC ozone depletors methane - greenhouse gases Wastes - drilling muds, salts

UNEP Global Environmental Alert 2012

Unconventional gas exploitation and production may have unavoidable environmental impacts. Some risks result if the technology is not used adequately, but others will occur despite proper use of technology.
GHG emissions water resources / contamination negative impacts on public health (air pollution, soil contaminants, noise) biodiversity - land clearance food supply - competition for land, water resources, soil pollution

Chemical Additives :
Drilling Fluids: corrosion inhibitors, lubricants, weighting agents, salts Fracking fluids: < 2.0% chemical additive CBM/CSG - 18,500kg, up to 40% (7,500kg) not recovered Shale - 1 - 2% of 795,000 litres = 7,950 -15,900kg Tight gas - 16 tonnes acute toxics (EU Report) majority not formally assessed / trade secrets many MSDS inc. acute or chronic toxicity limited environmental fate / ecotox data unassessed mixtures of carcinogens, neurotoxins, sensitisers, EDCs dangerous at concentrations near or below chemical detection limits (Uni. of New York 2011) Proppants: sand / alumino-silicates ceramic polymers > 50,000 kg per frack OSHA Silica Fracking Alert - workers/silicosis

Fracking and Drilling Toxic Chemicals :

Sodium Persulfate - sensitizer, rashes/eczema, irritate eyes, long-term exposure affect lung function 2-Butoxyethanol - high doses reproductive problems, birth defects, red blood cells, high mobility, low degradation, contaminate aquifers Ethylene Glycol - irritate eyes, nose & throat, respiratory toxicant, increased risks of spontaneous abortion, birth defects in animals Acrylic Copolymers - Haliburtons patent - 85% acrylonitrile, carcinogen Guar Gum - industrial GG / pentachlorophenol contaminants Methanol - CNS depression, headache, dizziness, nausea, lack of coordination Naphthalene - IARC possible human carcinogen, US reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogen, cataracts, workers urine Isopropanol - repro. toxin, CNS, degenerative brain changes in rats Formamide - birth defects in animals, CNS, harmful by inhalation & skin Glutaraldehyde - respiratory toxin, induced occupational asthma, mutagen Brominated biocides - irritants, sensitizers, very toxic to aquatic organisms Ethoxylated 4-nonylphenol - persistent, bioaccumulative, endocrine disruptor, breast cancer in mice, EU very toxic to aquatic organisms

Natural contaminants released by UG Activities:

BTEX - benzene (carcinogen) toluene (neurotoxin), ethylbenzene, xylene Volatile & semi volatile organic compounds - many toxic, carcinogens, asthma, help form fine particle pollution / ozone Heavy metals - cadmium, lead, chromium NORMs - naturally occurring radioactive substances eg thorium, uranium, radium, radon - WHO no safe level of exposure Flaring - hydrogen sulfide, methane, BTEX, mercury, arsenic, chromium, dioxin - USEPA ban a;er 2015 - Salts - 5-8 tonnes per ML CSG produce water QGC - 4.6 million tonnes SE Qld

Exposure Pathways and Practices :

Produce water - CSG 0.1 - 0.8 ML day / Shale 300 - 4,500 litres /day heavy metals, NORMs, fracking/drilling fluids, BTEX, VOCs ponds, dust suppression, reinjection/ partial treatment & release farmers reuse with no liability Hydraulic fracturing - unintentional fractures / aquifer mixing, blowouts, leaks, spills, flowback Landfill - salts, other wastes/radioactive wastes Land spraying of drilling muds Venting of gases eg compressors Fugitive emissions - drilling, flowback - through soil Flaring Transport / equipment VOCs, Nox dust /particulates

CSG Treated Waste Water Permit :

Chemical compound
BPA Bromide Total Chlorobenzenes Monochloramine Nitrate Uranium Toluene Xylene Ethylbenzene Benzene Cyanide Lead

Release rate/day Total (release rate x 20ML x 547.5 days / 18 months)

200g/ML 7,000g/ML 1,840g/ML 3,000g/ML 50,000g/ML 20g/ML 800g/ML 600g/ML 300g/ML 1g/ML 80g/ML 10g/ML 2,298KG (2.298 tonnes) 76,650KG (76.65 tonnes) 20,148KG (20.148 tonnes) 32,850KG (32.85 tonnes) 5,475,000KG (5,475 tonnes) 219KG 8,760KG (8.76 tonnes) 6,570KG (6.57 tonnes) 3,285KG (3.285 tonnes) 10.95KG 876KG 109.5KG

Impacts on water :
US EPA 2011 - 23 drinking water wells in Pavilion Wyoming - compounds associated with hydraulic fracturing from shale gas contaminated aquifer at or below the depths used for domestic water supply Queensland - BTEX in 5/14 monitoring water bores benzene at 6-15 times Aust. Drinking Water (Arrow Energy Media Release 2011) Well-head 24 hours after fracked - bromoform, chloroform, bromodichloromethane, benzene, zinc, chromium, copper, nickel
(Lloyd-Smith & Senjen 2012)

private drinking water bore -toluene, methane

(Simtars Investigation of Kogan Water Bore 2012 )

Methane in US drinking-water wells within 1 km of shale gas well up to 60 times - 64mg/l

(US National Academy Science)

12 month US shale study - 44 hazardous air pollutants eg methylene chloride, formaldehyde, naphthalene, highest during initial drilling
(Colborn et al 2012)

Queensland Tara gas fields Methane 6.89 ppm / <2ppm outside CO2 significantly higher than surrounding areas 3 fold increase in atmospheric radon inside the gas field , significant relationship with number of wells (Tait et al 2013) Tara Estate air samples 2012 - phenol, acrolein, acetone, BTEX, dichlorodifluoromethane, naphthalene, butane, vinyl acetate, butane, pentane, hexane, methylene chloride, MEK 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene CFCs - 3 x 8 hour samples
(Lloyd-Smith & Senjen 2012)

CSG Well Head Safety Program - over 120 wells leak methane

US Risk Assessment shale air emissions - living 1/2 mile higher risks for respiratory & neurological effects, excess lifetime cancer risk
(McKenzie 2012)

Queensland Tara Community - 60% 38 households 65 adults, 48 children skin & eye irritation, rashes, severe headaches, nose bleeds, chest pain, paraesthesia (tingling, numbness) some evidence that might associate some residents symptoms to exposures to airborne CSG contaminants (Qld.Govt.Health Report 2013) Chinchilla 2011 - noxious odours, breathing difficulties Pennsylvannia USA 2012 - 70 resident surveys nasal & throat irritation (60%) eyes burning (53%), shortness of breath (52%) difficulty breathing (41%), severe headaches (51%) frequent nausea (39%) skin irritation (38%) skin rashes (37%) dizziness (34%) sinus problems (58%) - pets & livestock - seizures, hair loss, death (Bamberger et al 2012) (Earthworks 2012)

of a gas field - An independent health survey in the Tara rural residential estates and environs April 2013
Dr Geralyn McCarron MB BCh BAO FRACGP 17 children 0-5 years - rashes (11) eye irritation (11) cough (5) twitching / unusual movements (6) poor colour/blueness of mouth or limbs (6) blood from the nose (9) headaches (8) tingling/numbness/ pins and needles (5)

Symptomatology

Thankyou for listening

Lock the Gate Coali'on

Mining companies special rights to force landowners to arbitration & court to get access but do not have the right to enter locked gate
Plenty v. Dillon (1991) 171 CLR 635

Lock the Gate Strategy powerful form of resistance make it costly, difficult, time consuming licenses surrendered /moratoriums 2km exclusion zone 2 companies pull out Gasfield Free Communities
Lock the gate Lock the road Protect the region

If a single landowner refuses access, mining company can either force access or gain access to neighbouring properties When hundreds of landowners refuse access, company is faced with rapidly diminishing return if they try to force access into community.

Strange Bedfellows - Lock the Gate CoaliHon - fastest growing social movement in Australia -
Affected Communities / individual residents Farmers / Farming associations /Agricultural businesses Civil Society Organisations / resident associations State, national, international NGOs Indigenous peoples Academics Country Womens Association Fishers /Oyster growers Tourism organisations/ business Health professionals Animal groups GetUP Media eg shock jocks NO SOCIAL LICENSE

 Community engagement

The CSG Free Community Strategy

Annie Kia - Lock the Gate Northern Rivers

1. SEED MEETING

3. KNOW YOUR ROAD, SUBURB VILLAGE

5. KIT & SURVEY 6. GATHER IN

2. PROMOTE

7. DECLARATIONS 4. PUBLIC MEETING

 The Channon Dunoon Modanville Goolmangar/Coffee Camp Dorroughby Eltham Jiggi North Lismore Rock Valley Ewingar Tyalgum Crystal Creek Kunghur/Mt Burrell/Doon Doon Burringbar/Crabbes Creek/Mooball Uki Nimbin Clunes Rosebank Whian Whian TOTAL TOTAL 432 341 311 333 199 187 334 284 370 150 277 266 359 459 639 1445 398 311 103 7198

Do you want your roads/lands Gaseld free?

YES 429 336 301 323 194 183 323 264 357 146 271 254 346 452 618 1429 386 307 101 7020 NO 2 2 2 1 1 2 0 3 3 0 1 2 2 3 3 0 3 1 0 31 NOT SURE 1 3 8 9 5 2 11 17 10 4 5 10 11 4 18 16 9 3 2 148 % 99.3% 98.5% 96.8% 97.0% 97.5% 97.9% 96.7% 93.0% 96.5% 97.3% 97.8% 95.5% 96.4% 98.5% 96.7% 98.9% 97.0% 98.7% 98.1% 97.5% N roads 20 14 13 12 7 16 17 22 17 10 36 11 16 25 32 42 17 21 4 352

Signs & banners

Ceremony

STAGE 2 - Prepare for non violent direct action

Our actions are non violent but non negotiable

Thankyou for listening


Living in a pollution-free world is a basic human right
those who pollute violate human rights fundamental right to life threatened by exposures to toxic chemicals, hazardous wastes, contaminated drinking water HR cant be secured in degraded or polluted environment - United Nations Human Rights Council UNHRC 2001 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People 2007. right to traditional foods (uncontaminated) Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 right to health, food & clean water Unconventional Gas threatens HR

Cuadrilla UK Report highly probable fracking triggered the recorded seismic events, specific geology coupled with pressure exerted by water injection. Fracking may alter in situ stress state changing the propensity of existing fractures to open or faults to slip. Injection of large volumes of pressurised water at depth cannot control the type of fractures that are created or reactivated Massive extraction of groundwater helped unleash an earthquake in southeastern Spain last year that killed nine people, injured at least 100 and left thousands homeless - 5.1 magnitude, May 2011 - evidence of subterranean subsidence from water extraction, aquifer fell 250m, causing part of crust to break

Unconventional sources like shale / CSG more energy intensive Jiang et al 2011 - omitted exploration, post production, liquifying, H20 treatment, uncertainties eg flaring Howarth et al 2011 up to 7.9% of the methane from shale-gas production escapes via venting or leaks 30% more than conventional gas Hardisty et al 2012 - 20 year GWP / CSG = coal US NOAA 2012 - 4% methane to atmosphere
Natural gas obtained by hydraulic fracturing may contribute significantly to GHG emissions

Limits of Water Treatment :

Reverse Osmosis cant remove many chemicals. eg, naphthalene, nonylphenol, methanol, trichloroethylene, ethylene glycol, bromoform, chloroform, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroethylene Treated Produced Water Release Permit 20 ML per day for 18 months, 80 chemicals + radionucleides mixture of persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic many halogenated eg bromochloracetonitrile bromochloromethane, chlorobenzenes, chlorophenols, monochloramine trichloroacetic acid, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol

CSG Waste Water Permit :

Chemical compound
BPA Bromide Total Chlorobenzenes Monochloramine Nitrate Uranium Toluene Xylene Ethylbenzene Benzene Cyanide Lead

Release rate/day Total (release rate x 20ML x 547.5 days / 18 months)

200g/ML 7,000g/ML 1,840g/ML 3,000g/ML 50,000g/ML 20g/ML 800g/ML 600g/ML 300g/ML 1g/ML 80g/ML 10g/ML 2,298KG (2.298 tonnes) 76,650KG (76.65 tonnes) 20,148KG (20.148 tonnes) 32,850KG (32.85 tonnes) 5,475,000KG (5,475 tonnes) 219KG 8,760KG (8.76 tonnes) 6,570KG (6.57 tonnes) 3,285KG (3.285 tonnes) 10.95KG 876KG 109.5KG