The WA Environment Protection Authority (EPA) recommended Black Mountain Energy’s*: Valhalla fracking project in the Martuwarra Fitzroy River catchment go ahead, despite the project requiring unknown quantities of dozens of chemicals not fit for release into the environment and waterways.
Environs Kimberley Executive Director Martin Pritchard said Black Mountain Energy’s own 2662-page chemical disclosure data document contains a list of chemicals and hazard descriptions that indicate serious risks to human health, aquatic life and water systems. His concerns were highlighted in a story published today in WAtoday.
"The EPA’s assessment considers that the risk to human health is low, saying the area is ‘sparsely populated’. This conclusion callously disregards the communities in the Kimberley," he said.
Black Mountain Energy’s submission, which was accepted without challenge by the EPA, stated that pastoralists drinking from bore water is common practice and that Traditional Owners hunting in the area could drink the water. Yet they conclude that it’s not likely “unless needed in case of thirst”.
"The idea that farmers and Traditional Owners would suddenly stop drinking the water they’ve been safely drinking for years because of this project is absurd. The responsibility sits squarely with Black Mountain not to pollute it in the first place – and the EPA not to enable them," Mr Pritchard said.
Black Mountain’s disclosure document includes these descriptions of chemicals that will be used at the 20 proposed fracking wells**:
- 3,3'-Methylene bis(5-methyl oxazolidine): “[Human] Organ toxicity, corrosive, sensitizer.”
- Disodium Metasilicate: “Severe burns, respiratory irritation.”
- Glyoxal: Can cause genetic mutations “(mutagenic), skin sensitizer.”
- Aldacide® Antimicrobial [Glutaraldehyde]: “Avoid release to the environment...Very toxic to aquatic life...Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.”
- Tracerco T-190b [Sodium 3-(trifluoromethyl)benzoate]: “Do not discharge into waterways.”
- KLA-STOP [Propane-1,2-diol, propoxylated by amination]: “This product should not be allowed to enter waterways; avoid release to the environment.”
- PTS 200 [2-aminoethanol]: “Harmful to aquatic life with long-lasting effects.”
- BE-9 [Tributyl tetradecyl phosphonium chloride]: “Toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment.”
"According to company documents, up to 90% or more of the chemical-laced fracking water will stay underground after fracking, and could return to the surface over time through existing or fracking-created faults and fissures," Mr Pritchard said.
"We have no idea how many litres and tonnes of actual chemicals will be pumped into the formations and aquifers connected to the river, but based on a comparable project in the Northern Territory, we could be looking at over 18,000 tonnes of toxic chemicals."
Lock the Gate Alliance WA Campaign Coordinator Simone van Hattem said public pressure was mounting on Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn to reject the Valhalla proposal.
"West Australians remain committed to stopping this project that risks destroying endangered animal habitats, polluting water sources and industrialising the Kimberley," she said.
"More than 8000 community members and groups lodged appeals, making this the most highly contested EPA decision in WA history. Of the people who lodged appeals, more than 1000 live in the so-called ‘sparsely populated’ Kimberley. We trust that Minister Swinbourn won’t ignore their voices."
* Black Mountain is the Texan fracking company behind Bennett Resources, the proponent of the Valhalla project.
** The proponent’s 2,662 page 'chemical data disclosure' document, listing hundreds of chemicals proposed for use in fracking in the Kimberley, uses the term “Not determined” on ~1,596 occasions, mostly in relation to possible toxicity to humans (e.g., carcinogen; mutagen) and/or natural ecosystems. For the EPA to claim it has assessed the company’s fracking chemicals and they do not pose a risk to human health or the environment is clearly not true. In most cases it had no information to base its assessment on.