{"id":10782,"date":"2013-10-24T08:00:10","date_gmt":"2013-10-23T21:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=10782"},"modified":"2019-04-14T00:01:44","modified_gmt":"2019-04-13T14:01:44","slug":"data-problem-katherine-marchment-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/data-problem-katherine-marchment-reports\/","title":{"rendered":"Conflicts of interest, Tara data and baseline studies: Katherine Marchment reports"},"content":{"rendered":"[clear]\n
\"Coal

Coal seam gas wells near Tara, in Queensland (Photo courtesy Moira McDade)<\/p><\/div>\n

By Katherine Marchment<\/a><\/p>\n

CSG is suspected to have negative impacts on the environment (water, air and soil), as well as economically and on human and animal health. The information that can be accessed about this is too abundant for one article.<\/p>\n

Therefore, for the purposes of this article, I will concentrate only on the health impacts on residents of the Tara Estates in Queensland<\/a>, which a report by Queensland Health<\/a> states are unrelated to the gas fields around them.<\/p>\n

Below is a table of some gasses that have been shown by the Australian Government National Pollutant Inventory<\/a>\u00a0to have been emitted from compressor stations around Tara.<\/p>\n

Known health effects of gases listed in the table are per National Pollutant Inventory website<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Gas Emissions<\/b><\/td>\nKnown Health Impacts<\/b><\/td>\nMax Limit<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oxides of Nitrogen<\/td>\nIrritates eyes, nose, throat, lungs, shortness of breath, tiredness, nausea, buildup of fluid in lungs, death. Skin & eye contact causes burns. Inhaled or absorbed through skin<\/td>\nNO 31mg\/m3 air, N20 45mg\/m3 air, NO2 5.6mg\/m3 air. Water 50mg\/L<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Volatile Organic Chemicals<\/td>\nDepends on Composition (over 100) General effects include: irritation eyes, nose, throat, loss of co-ordination, nausea, damage to kidneys, liver, central nervous system, cancer. Inhaled<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Formaldehyde<\/td>\nIrritates eyes, nose, throat, causes allergies affecting skin and lungs, eye and skin burns, permanent damage, asthma-like respiratory allergy, shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, chest tightness, bronchitis, cancer. Can be inhaled or ingested<\/td>\nAir 8hr exposure 1.2mg\/m3 air, water 0.0005g\/L<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Particulate Matter 10<\/td>\nPM 10 = 10 micrometers or less in diameter \u2013 human hair diameter approx. 100 micrometers<\/td>\nNo safe level<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Particulate Matter 2.5<\/td>\nToxic effects by absorption into blood eg lead, allergic or hypersensitivity effects, bacterial & fungal infections, fibrosis, irritation mucous membranes, increased respiratory symptoms, aggravation of asthma, smaller particulates more adverse<\/td>\nNo safe level<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Carbon Monoxide<\/td>\nAt 200ppm headaches, dizziness, light-headedness, fatigue. At 400ppm hallucinations, convulsions, collapse, unconsciousness, death. Chronic low levels: heart disease, nervous system damage, birth defects, low birth weights. Absorbed by inhalation<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sulphur Dioxide<\/td>\nIrritation of eyes, nose, throat, choking, coughing. Prolonged exposure \u2013 Inflammation of respiratory tract, wheezing, lung damage, reproductive damage, damage in development of newborns<\/td>\n0.02 ppm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons<\/td>\nIrritate eyes, nose, throat, bronchial tubes. Skin contact allergies. High levels \u2013 headaches, nausea, red blood cell damage, liver & kidney damage, cancer, death<\/td>\nAir 8hr exposure 10ppm, Water 0.00001 mg\/L<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Australian Government National Pollutant Inventory \u2013 Air Emissions data 2011\/2012 Dalby Region<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Gas Emissions kg<\/td>\nKenya Processing Plant (near Tara)<\/td>\nWindibri Processing Plant (near Kogan)<\/td>\nTipton Gasfield Arrow(Near Dalby)<\/td>\nKogan Gasfield Arrow (near Kogan)<\/td>\nATP 648 QGC (Near Tara)<\/td>\nATP 651 QGC (near Tara)<\/td>\nTotal Emissions Tested\u00a0 within 50km radius, Tara Estates<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oxides of Nitrogen<\/td>\n840,000<\/td>\n850,000<\/td>\n280,000<\/td>\n38,000<\/td>\n110,000<\/td>\n42,000<\/td>\n2,160,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
VOC\u2019s<\/td>\n110,000<\/td>\n99,000<\/td>\n39,000<\/td>\n1,000<\/td>\n46,000<\/td>\n1,200<\/td>\n\u00a0 296,200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Formaldehyde<\/td>\n4700<\/td>\n42,000<\/td>\n17,000<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 63,700<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PM 10<\/td>\n2700<\/td>\n8300<\/td>\n13,000<\/td>\n1,900<\/td>\n2,800<\/td>\n1,300<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28,700<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PM 2.5<\/td>\n2700<\/td>\n8200<\/td>\n79<\/td>\n1,900<\/td>\n2,800<\/td>\n1,300<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 16,979<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CO<\/td>\n520,000<\/td>\n500,000<\/td>\n180,000<\/td>\n8,500<\/td>\n58,000<\/td>\n11,000<\/td>\n1,277,500<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sulphur Dioxide<\/td>\n690<\/td>\n640<\/td>\n250<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n0.13<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1,606<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PAH\u2019s<\/td>\n.15<\/td>\n0.63<\/td>\n0.058<\/td>\n0.23<\/td>\n0.0032<\/td>\n0.00015<\/td>\n\u00a0 1.071<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

As startling as these figures are, please note:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. this is not a full set of data, as testing was not undertaken on emissions from wells and pipes, well drilling and well venting, fracking and road spraying with produced water<\/li>\n
  2. testing was not not undertaken on emissions from trucks, heavy machinery and other infrastructure bought in by the gas companies<\/li>\n
  3. testing on processing plants not mentioned was not complete, as can be observed from lack of data on formaldehyde emissions on three plants above<\/li>\n
  4. emissions of other gases: Arsenic & Compounds, Berylium & Compounds, Cadmium & Compounds, Chromium III Compounds, Chromium IV Compounds, Copper & Compounds, Flouride Compounds, Lead & Compounds, Mercury & Compounds, Nickel & Compounds, Zinc & Compounds not available or not included. These were common emissions from other processing plants tested<\/li>\n
  5. no testing was done on water, and incomplete or insufficient testing was done on soil<\/li>\n
  6. please note: the table above states emissions from six processing plants – there are more than 200 such plants in Queensland.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Residents of the Tara Estates have reported a range of symptoms since coal seam gas activity has commenced, including:<\/p>\n

    Eye, nose and throat irritation, rashes, nausea, vomiting, \u00a0loss of co-ordination, asthma symptoms, persistent coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, headaches, skin burns, fatigue, heart palpitations, chest pain, bleeding from the nose and ears, weakness, fatigue, depression, insomnia, tingling and numbness, muscle pain and spasms, twitching, fits, difficulty concentrating.<\/p>\n

    A significant number of these symptoms correlate with the health effects of toxic exposure to the gases outlined in the tables above.<\/p>\n

    \"Dr

    Dr Geralyn McCarron (photo: from Evacuating Grounds blog<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

    The April 2013 report Symptomatology of a gas field (An independent health survey in the Tara rural residential estates and environs)<\/em> <\/a>\u00a0by Dr Geralyn McCarron found:<\/p>\n

    \u201cA range of symptoms were reported which can sometimes be related to neurotoxicity (damage to the nervous system), including severe fatigue, weakness, headaches, numbness and paraesthesia (abnormal sensations such as pins and needles, burning or tingling).<\/p>\n

    \u201cParents of a number of young children reported twitching or unusual movements, and clumsiness or unsteadiness.”<\/p>\n

    This report is highly recommend for anyone interested in the health impacts of coal seam gas mining. It also includes: the study\u2019s limitations, comprehensive investigation, recommendations and comprehensive references.<\/p>\n

    Testing done by Dr Geralyn McCarron on a three-year-old child living near gas fields found a volume of hippuric acid (the major metabolite of toluene) levels in urine three times higher than acceptable safe levels in Canada.<\/p>\n

    To be fair, Queensland Health also released a report in March 2013 titled Coal Seam Gas in the Tara Region Summary Assessment of Health Complaints and Environmental Monitoring Data<\/em><\/a>. This is the report the Queensland government relies upon when making decisions about CSG development.<\/p>\n

    The Queensland Health report came to the following conclusions:<\/p>\n