Fracking to start in Victoria soon – unless we act now!

This update was received today from Friends of the Earth

In 2012, community concern about the threat of new coal and gas operations, especially coal seam gas (CSG), pushed the state government to ban the use of dangerous BTEX chemicals and place a moratorium on the process of fracking for gas.

The moratorium will finish shortly and the government has made it clear it wants to see renewed expansion of the fossil fuel industry.

And to make our job harder – mining magnate Gina Rinehart has now bought into Victorian coal and gas exploration.

Her company has bought into local company Lakes Oil, and placed climate sceptic Ian Plimer and former politician Alexander Downer on the Lakes Oil board.

FoE has been tracking Lake’s activity for a year now, and highlighted poor management of some previous operations. They are currently drilling for shale oil in Gippsland, and hold three exploration licenses for brown coal.

Lakes Oil is also currently preparing drill pads in Gippsland so they can start fracking for Tight Gas as soon as the moratorium finishes. Please see the photo here: http://twitpic.com/cosnvp . This site is near Longford in Gippsland.

We know that the government is feeling pressure on this issue: from industry, who want the moratorium lifted, and from the community, who want it extended.

PLEASE ACT NOW

1.  Please tell the Premier The Hon Denis Napthine: [email protected] to extend the moratorium:

Suggested wording:

Dear Premier

I urge you to maintain the current moratorium on fracking, and extend it to any exploration activity for coal or gas.

Please initiate, as a matter of urgency, a thorough investigation into the likely impacts of this industry on:

• water resources,
• farmland and food security,
• local communities and natural biodiversity, and
• greenhouse emissions.

Without this data it would be negligent to allow any further development of the fossil fuel industry in our state.

2.  If you like to receive monthly campaign update, just email me: [email protected] with the words SUBSCRIBE VIC NEWSLETTER in the subject line.

3.  Please consider supporting our work so we can run a stronger campaign: http://www.givenow.com.au/foecsgcampaign

For further information on the situation: http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/?q=node/1215

Thanks for whatever support you can offer

Regards

Cam Walker

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