❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Environment regarding water management practices at Buru Energy's Yulleroo 3 and 4 wells, raising concerns about potential environmental impacts and regulatory compliance. The Minister defers the response to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
AnsweredQoN 761Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
With
regard to the Buru Energy Limited wells at Yulleroo 3 and 4 and with reference to photographs of these wells, being IMG_0797.JPG, IMG_0794.JPG, IMG_0823.JPG and IMG_0827.JPG of Yulleroo 3 and IMG_0814.JPG, IMG_0809.JPG, IMG_0804.JPG, IMG_0805.JPG and IMG_0808.JPG of Yulleroo 4
that were taken on 12/02/2014, which are located at http://www.robinchapple.com/qdata , I ask: (a) at
Yulleroo 4, why is there a difference in water height between the water levels
in the two dams; (b) at Yulleroo 4, what is the material floating on the
surface of the water in IMG_0804.JPG
and IMG_0805.JPG; (c) at Yulleroo 4 in IMG_0804.JPG and IMG_0805.JPG there is evidence of water having escaped from the
lined dam, as shown by the riling on the flank of the pond that is closest to the camera. Is this permissible: (i) if yes to (c), why; (ii) if yes to (c), what processes are available to ensure that dams used to contain chemical fluids used in the process of fracking will not be similarly dispersed into the environment in times of seasonal flooding; (iii) if no to (c), what action will the Minister take; (iv) if no to (c), was the department advised of this event and when; and (v) if no to (c)(iv), why not; (d) what were the contents of the dams at the Yulleroo 4 site; (e) were the contents of the large dam depicted in IMG_0809.JPG and IMG_1808.JPG drained, siphoned or pumped out via the pipe that is seen leading to a large body of water outside the boundary of the pad in the top right hand corner of the photos: (i) if yes to (e), is this activity permitted and on what grounds; (ii) if yes to (e), was the department advised of this activity; (iii) if yes to (e)(i), what processes
are available to ensure that dams used to contain chemical fluids
associated with the process of fracking will not be similarly dispersed into
the environment in times of seasonal flooding; and (iv) if no to (e)(i), what action will the Minister take; (f) At Yulleroo 4 in photos IMG_0809.JPG and IMG_0808.JPG there is evidence of the contents of this lined dam having
overtopped to the left-hand bottom corner of the pictures. Is this permissible: (i) if yes to (f) why; and (ii) if no to (f) what action will the Minister take; (g) at
Yulleroo 3, why is there a difference in the water height between the water levels
in the three dams; (h) at Yulleroo 3, what is the purpose of the pipe
that is submerged and leading from the dam to a large body of water at the other end of
the pipe shown in IMG_0827.JPG; and (i) if the purpose of this pipe was to drain the
three dams shown in IMG_0827.JPG, is this activity permitted: (i) if yes to (i), was the department advised of the activity; (ii) if yes to (i), on what grounds is the draining of these dams permitted; and (iii) if no to (i), what action will the Minister take?
regard to the Buru Energy Limited wells at Yulleroo 3 and 4 and with reference to photographs of these wells, being IMG_0797.JPG, IMG_0794.JPG, IMG_0823.JPG and IMG_0827.JPG of Yulleroo 3 and IMG_0814.JPG, IMG_0809.JPG, IMG_0804.JPG, IMG_0805.JPG and IMG_0808.JPG of Yulleroo 4
that were taken on 12/02/2014, which are located at http://www.robinchapple.com/qdata , I ask: (a) at
Yulleroo 4, why is there a difference in water height between the water levels
in the two dams; (b) at Yulleroo 4, what is the material floating on the
surface of the water in IMG_0804.JPG
and IMG_0805.JPG; (c) at Yulleroo 4 in IMG_0804.JPG and IMG_0805.JPG there is evidence of water having escaped from the
lined dam, as shown by the riling on the flank of the pond that is closest to the camera. Is this permissible: (i) if yes to (c), why; (ii) if yes to (c), what processes are available to ensure that dams used to contain chemical fluids used in the process of fracking will not be similarly dispersed into the environment in times of seasonal flooding; (iii) if no to (c), what action will the Minister take; (iv) if no to (c), was the department advised of this event and when; and (v) if no to (c)(iv), why not; (d) what were the contents of the dams at the Yulleroo 4 site; (e) were the contents of the large dam depicted in IMG_0809.JPG and IMG_1808.JPG drained, siphoned or pumped out via the pipe that is seen leading to a large body of water outside the boundary of the pad in the top right hand corner of the photos: (i) if yes to (e), is this activity permitted and on what grounds; (ii) if yes to (e), was the department advised of this activity; (iii) if yes to (e)(i), what processes
are available to ensure that dams used to contain chemical fluids
associated with the process of fracking will not be similarly dispersed into
the environment in times of seasonal flooding; and (iv) if no to (e)(i), what action will the Minister take; (f) At Yulleroo 4 in photos IMG_0809.JPG and IMG_0808.JPG there is evidence of the contents of this lined dam having
overtopped to the left-hand bottom corner of the pictures. Is this permissible: (i) if yes to (f) why; and (ii) if no to (f) what action will the Minister take; (g) at
Yulleroo 3, why is there a difference in the water height between the water levels
in the three dams; (h) at Yulleroo 3, what is the purpose of the pipe
that is submerged and leading from the dam to a large body of water at the other end of
the pipe shown in IMG_0827.JPG; and (i) if the purpose of this pipe was to drain the
three dams shown in IMG_0827.JPG, is this activity permitted: (i) if yes to (i), was the department advised of the activity; (ii) if yes to (i), on what grounds is the draining of these dams permitted; and (iii) if no to (i), what action will the Minister take?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
11 March 2014
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
19 days
I understand that you have asked the same question to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum and that he will be responding on behalf of the Government.
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