By Rhianwen Whitney
Posted
A community group on southern Queensland's Western Downs is calling for more independent testing after research suggesting elevated gas levels at local coal seam gas (CSG) wells.
A new study by Southern Cross University researchers has found atmospheric radon levels are three times higher around CSG wells sampled near Tara, north-west of Toowoomba.
The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association says the research needs to be reviewed by other scientists.
Gasfields Community Support group coordinator Debbi Orr says it backs her group's concerns and action must be taken.
"The Government needs to step in and do their own investigations as well," she said.
"To start with, permanent air monitoring set up because they've done no baseline studies to begin with before the industry came along.
"But they need to stop burying their heads in the sand and start acting on it."
She says the group has been raising concerns for a while.
"We've been saying there is a problem and this just backs us up on that," she said.
"It's quite horrifying that there's radon and methane and other gases leaking into our area.
"This is the air that we're all breathing and our children are becoming sick and nobody is prepared to investigate."
Topics: activism-and-lobbying, federal---state-issues, mining-rural, oil-and-gas, mining-industry, mining-environmental-issues, community-development, regional, tara-4421, toowoomba-4350, bundaberg-4670, kingaroy-4610
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