Lock the Gate Alliance has launched a legal challenge against the Northern Territory Government’s recent approval of Empire Energy’s “Larrimah” fracking exploration project.
The Alliance, represented by Johnson Legal, is challenging the merits of the approval in the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal, with a directions hearing to be held today (Friday January 24) at 11am at Level 1, The Met Building, 13 Scaturchio Street, Casuarina.
A colourful gathering will be held outside the courthouse at 10.30am, and Lock the Gate Alliance Darwin spokesperson Pete Callender will be available to give comments to the media.
Lock the Gate Alliance will argue that the impact of the Larrimah fracking project, which would be built not far from the world-renowned Bitter Springs near Mataranka, will pose a major risk to local groundwater and surface water.
Lock the Gate will argue the Environment Management Plan should be refused by NTCAT when the merits of the project are fully assessed.
Empire’s planned fracking project, according to the company’s approved Environmental Management Plan, would involve the drilling of six fracking wells, and require the use of up to 410 million litres of groundwater and 60,000 tonnes of hydraulic fracturing “proppant” - a mixture of sand and chemicals.
It would produce:
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189 million litres of toxic flowback fluid, which would be sent to tanks via 76 km of underground wastewater “flowline” pipes,
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3,645 m3 of drilling waste, and
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227,421 tonnes of carbon emissions.
The project would also require the clearing of up to 222 hectares of vegetation.
Darwin local and Lock the Gate Alliance spokesperson Pete Callender said, “We believe Empire Energy’s Larrimah fracking project poses an unacceptable risk to precious water in the Northern Territory.
“Fracking requires vast quantities of toxic chemicals and produces huge volumes of wastewater.
“We believe the impacts and risks of the project to water resources are likely to be far greater than predicted by the NT Government.
“The recent contamination of vegetation at an Empire Energy Carpentaria fracking well highlights the risks that such projects pose to the environment.”
ENDS