The Northern Star reports that the Southern Cross University in Australia plans a research project on the impacts of coal seam gas mining on surface water, groundwater and the atmosphere. The Northern Rivers Regional Organisation of Councils will be asked for funding the project with the total amount of $90,000 over three years.
The research would be done by Dr Isaac Santos from SCU, whose recent work with Dr Damien Maher found CSG mining could be responsible for the escape of significant quantities of methane into the atmosphere.
Some of the issues to be looked at through the project include whether creek hydrology and chemistry will be impacted by coal seam gas exploration; the impact of CSG exploration on the nearby atmospheric chemistry; and whether CSG exploration is releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.