Dear Sir/Madam
On 31st July you published an article about the proposed Underground Coal Gasification to be run By Five Quarter off the North East coast.
But what Professor Roddy failed to mention are the number of UCG experiments around the world which have failed, closed down because of environmental pollution e.g. in the USA at Taylorville, Illinois and Hoe Creek, Wyoming, in Australia at Bloodwood Creek and near Kingaroy (where benzene and toluene ended up in the groundwater and fat of cattle).
Nor does the article state that UCG is still experimental and tests have never before been run near large centres of population. Nor that high volumes of highly contaminated water will need to be disposed of (into the sea?), and the danger of polluting aquifers. Nor that the seepage of noxious gases into the atmosphere is inevitable, that the process once started is extremely difficult to stop, and that the dangers of subsidence are far greater than for ordinary mining, with potential for earthquakes. Nor that an uncontrolled coal fire accidently set off could spread inland (see Centralia in Pennsylvania).
Such pollution off-shore in the North East, let alone the industrialisation of the coast-line, could have dire consequences for the re-vitalised fish and tourist industries. Let alone that such extreme energy methods will make it impossible for the government to reach its carbon emissions targets, and released methane will accelerate climate change.
There is of course the carrot of job creation – but if the same amounts of money were to be invested in renewable energies – which surveys have shown a majority of the public prefer – and/or home and public building insulation, there would be far more new jobs, fewer environmental concerns, and hugely beneficial consequences for global warming.
A growing number of concerned citizens are beginning to realise the dangers of fool-hardy experiments such as UCG, and your readers are invited to check out the Facebook site Frack Free Tyne & Wear amongst others.
Yours sincerely,
Oliver Swingler
Just last month the Government in Queensland, Australia put a halt to Underground Coal Gasification operations, because the companies involved have no way to stop the underground fires. In another case the process has caused groundwater contamination and yet here in the UK the licences have been awarded and companies are encouraged to carry on unabated.
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