A Queensland doctor told media commentator, Alan Jones today the State Government was ignoring csg-related health problems.
Dr Geralyn McCarron, a Queensland GP, said she had become aware of “strange and unexplained symptoms” including blood-noses, headaches, fatigue, nausea and vomiting in people living at coal seam gasfields.
Dr McCarron told Mr Jones that the State Government had not implemented the recommendation of its own report, Coal seam gas in the Tara region: Summary risk assessment of health complaints and environmental monitoring data, written in 2013.
"The report recommended that an ambient air monitoring program be established to monitor overall CSG emissions and the exposure of local communities to those emissions,” she said.
“I was assured in 2013 by Queensland Health and the then Health Minister, Dr Chris Davis, that the testing would take place but that has not happened.”
She said of the 113 people she surveyed in 2013, 45 have moved away because of the health impacts of csg including illness, noise and disturbed sleep. Six families have “gag orders” saying they cannot speak publicly of their experiences and others continue to suffer symptoms.
“Many would like to move but can’t sell their properties so they’re stuck,” she said.
One landholder last week shot all his pigs because they became so ill drinking the water.
“People are buying bottled water because they’re afraid of what’s in it but they’re still bathing in it,” she said.
Mr Jones said the government had designed legislation to ensure csg developments proceeded regardless of what the locals wanted.