Farmers raise fears on CTSCo project’s water impact

Glencore has defended its Surat Basin carbon capture and storage project in the face of Farmers For Climate Action fears that it will contaminate agricultural water supplies. Glencore’s Carbon Transport and Storage Corporation (CTSCo) project is seeking approval to test inject 330,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide at depths of 2.3km over three years. It argues Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a safe and proven technology that can make a meaningful contribution to meeting emission reduction targets. But Farmers For Climate Action chief executive officer Natalie Collard described plans to put coal mine waste into the Great Artesian Basin is a reckless experiment with agricultural water. “The threat to farmers’ water security from this carbon capture and storage project, from other coal and gas proposals across the nation, and from climate change, are real and must be taken seriously if we want to keep farmers farming," she said. She said the CTSCo proposal would put coal waste directly into the Precipice Sandstone aquifer, from which local farmers and towns sourced water. Farmers For Climate Action said their concerns about the project were shared by local farmers, the Queensland Farmers Federation, Queensland farmer group AgForce, and the Murweh Shire Council Mayor -who said the GAB should be given the same protections as the Great Barrier Reef. "We hope Water Minister Tanya Plibersek explores her ministerial powers to veto this proposal,” Ms Collard said. “American-owned coal giant Glencore calls this a ‘trial’. Lead and arsenic can’t be removed from an underground lake once it’s in there." A Glencore spokesman said the carbon dioxide the project was seeking approval to inject underground would be food grade (similar to the CO2 found in soft drinks). "The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is not an isolated or uniform water source; it is made up of both potable and non-potable aquifers with varying water quality levels," he said. The Precipice Sandstone aquifer identified by CTSCo for carbon dioxide storage was much deeper than the aquifers currently used for agriculture in the region, he said. "Not a single agricultural producer is currently drawing or using water from this aquifer within 50km of CTSCo’s proposed storage site," the Glencore spokesman said in a written response to the Farmers For Climate Action statement. He said the aquifer’s water quality was brackish with very high fluoride levels. "The CTSCo Project is not expected to impact any current or future groundwater users of the GAB," he said. CTSCo has submitted an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and has responded to submissions on the EIS, addressing feedback and material questions and concerns raised by stakeholders. This can be viewed here: https://www.ctsco.com.au/about#eis

Farmers raise fears on CTSCo project’s water impact

Industry Queensland

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