Frack Free NT@FrackFreeNT Feb 6, 2023:
Central Australian Frack Free Alliance have launched a legal challenge to Tamborans approval to drill and frack 12 wells in the Barkly. Caffa will argue the minister should have considered the climate impacts of a full scale fracking industry in the NT.
Northern Territory faces legal challenge over approval of Tamboran drilling and fracking in Beetaloo basin, Central Australian Frack Free Alliance argues NT environment minister failed to properly consider Tamboran project’s impact by Lisa Cox, 7 Feb 2023. The Guardian
Activists have launched a legal challenge to the Northern Territory government’s decision to approve drilling and fracking by resources company Tamboran in the Beetaloo basin.
The Central Australian Frack Free Alliance (Caffa) is asking the NT supreme court to review the process that led to the approval of Tamboran’s environmental management plan, arguing the environment minister, Lauren Moss, failed to properly consider the environmental impacts of the project.
In particular, Caffa will argue the minister failed to fully consider the climate consequences of the project, including the climate effects of future production in the Beetaloo that the exploration may facilitate.
The approval allows Tamboran to drill and frack 12 exploratory wells 600km south of Darwin.
Caffa’s case is a test of the NT’s petroleum regulations which were reformed in 2016. The group, represented by the Environmental Defenders Office, will argue those reforms provided for a wider assessment of the risks associated with gas or fracking activity.
“By approving this exploration application, the minister is laying the grounds for potentially thousands of fracking wells to be drilled in the NT,” Caffa’s spokesperson, Hannah Ekin, said.
“Tamboran’s project would help facilitate the drilling of vast new gas fields across the heart of the territory. This would have a catastrophic impact on runaway climate change and affect the lives of everyone who resides here in the territory.”
David Morris, the chief executive of the Environmental Defenders Office, said the NT government had a “terrible track record of failing to regulate highly polluting industries”.
“In this instance, we’re arguing the minister failed to lawfully assess Tamboran’s environmental plan by not identifying and considering all the risks,” he said.
“The law places the responsibility on the minister to ensure all risks are identified and considered, we say she failed in that task.”
A NT government spokesperson said the government could not provide comment while the case was under way. Comment has been sought from Tamboran Resources.
Territorians launch Supreme Court challenge to fracking approval The Central Australian Frack Free Alliance (CAFFA) has launched a legal challenge to gas company Tamboran’s approval to drill and frack 12 exploratory wells about 600km south of Darwin. CAFFA will ask the NT Supreme Court to review the decision of NT Environment Minister Lauren Moss last November to approve the project’s Environmental Management Plan (EMP). Through its lawyers, the Environmental Defenders Office, CAFFA will argue the EMP approval was invalid because Minister Moss failed to adequately consider the environmental impacts of the project. In particular, CAFFA will argue the minister should have considered the climate impacts of future gas projects that this exploration will enable. The International Energy Agency said in 2021 there can be no new gasfields if the world is to stand a chance of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, and therefore avoiding the worst impacts of catastrophic climate change. CAFFA spokesperson Hannah Ekin said: “By approving this exploration application, the minister is laying the grounds for potentially thousands of fracking wells to be drilled in the NT. “Tamboran’s project would help facilitate the drilling of vast new gas fields across the heart of the Territory - what the gas industry calls the ‘Beetaloo Basin’. This would have a catastrophic impact on runaway climate change and affect the lives of everyone who resides here in the Territory. “The NT Fyles Government has failed to implement the recommendations of the Fracking Inquiry and it’s clear the government lacks the gumption to step in and do anything meaningful to protect Territorians from the risks of fracking. “Tamboran’s fracking plans could cause significant impacts on water resources that are vital to the future of the Territory, through unsustainable water take and potential contamination from leaks and spills. The minister has failed to acknowledge these cumulative impacts in her approval.” EDO CEO David Morris said: "The NT Government has a terrible track record of failing to regulate highly polluting industries. “In this instance, we're arguing the minister failed to lawfully assess Tamboran's environmental plan by not identifying and considering all the risks. "The company has publicly opposed targets set by international climate agreements, so it is not surprising its environmental management plan fails to identify key environmental risks. “The law places the responsibility on the minister to ensure all risks are identified and considered. We say she failed in that task.” Mudburra Elder Ray Dimakarri Dixon, from Marlinja Community, said: “Fracking, it's a big risk. We want to protect our water, it's very important, it's our culture, it's our ceremony, and our songlines. “Once the damage is done no one can fix it. It's not right for a new company to come in and do more damage.” ENDS MEDIA CONTACT EDO | James Tremain | 0419 272 254 CAFFA | Dominic Geiger | 0447 355 565 BACKGROUND Tamboran Litigation — Background Brief — February 2023 ABOUT THE CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN FRACK FREE ALLIANCE The Central Australian Frack Free Alliance (CAFFA) is a grassroots community group located in Mparntwe/ Alice Springs and organising to protect the NT’s water, health, communities and country from the harms of unconventional gas extraction. CAFFA has been active over the last eight years in raising awareness within the Alice Springs and Central Australian community about the risks posed by this poorly regulated and inherently dangerous industry. Their work, which is largely done by volunteers, has seen CAFFA engaging with the community through market stalls, letterboxing, community surveying, door knocking, interviewing politicians and candidates, developing electoral scorecards, writing submissions, and a host of social events. They are calling for transparency, clarity, and independent scientific research, as well as thorough community consultation. CAFFA is a member of the Protect Country Alliance NT.
Many humans, including “educated” lawyers and judges can’t or won’t think beyond $2 + $2 for them (aka OK to betray country, citizenry and environment to fill my own immediate greed and ego, future livability on this planet for our species and others, be damned).
Refer also to:
Australia Esso Longford plant: Toxic PFAS chemicals found in dam and groundwater
It’s still Labor gov’t in power, promise breakers – just like NDP gov’ts in Canada federally and provincially.
2014: The People of the Emerald Isle vs Tamboran & Fracing: VICTORY!
2014: Australia: Local doctor talks of ‘catastrophic’ CSG (CBM) health impact
2013: GAS LEAK! ABC Four Corners on Coal Seam Gas (Coalbed Methane) in Australia
2013: Revealed: secret Scots fracking plans by Australian energy company Dart
2013: Radon gas leaks in coalbed methane fields in Australia spark call for probe
2013: Risky Business – Al Jazeera’s report on Coalseam Gas [Coalbed Methane] in Australia
2012: Plan to mine CBM gas under homes in Sydney Australia
2011: Australian Petroleum Association: Coal seam damage to water inevitable
The coal seam gas industry has conceded that extraction will inevitably contaminate aquifers. “Drilling will, to varying degrees, impact on adjoining aquifers,” said the spokesman, Ross Dunn. “The intent of saying that is to make it clear that we have never shied away from the fact that there will be impacts on aquifers,” Mr Dunn said.
CAPP – Canada’s Petroleum Producers Propaganda group – admitted the same, in a full page ad taken out by them in the Calgary Herald no less:
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers: Coal bed methane operations contaminate water resources by The Calgary Herald, August 28, 2014
Yet CAPP’s Alex Ferguson says many worries about water quality are based on past operations involving coal-bed methane — shallow deposits in closer proximity to groundwater. These did occasionally contaminate water resources, he says. In some of the more infamous instances, affected landowners could light their well water on fire.
Alex Ferguson was appointed Commissioner and CEO of the BC Oil and Gas Commission from 2007-2011
End Frac’d future interlude
2011: 60 Minutes Australia – Fracking – The Coal Seam Gas Land Grab
