The processing of coal seam gas (CSG) flowback water at South Windsor’s Worth Recycling facility will recommence this month.
In October last year, the Gazette reported that the Office of CSG confirmed waste water had been processed at the South Windsor facility up until June 30, 2014.
AGL had contracted the facility to remove CSG-produced water from their Camden project.
The Newcastle Herald reported on January 5 that Worth Recycling would now take over for the Gloucester project.
The water was previously being treated by Transpacific at its Kooragang Island base, but it lost the contract after being fined $30,000 for releasing treated CSG water into the Hunter’s sewer network.
Hawkesbury Council’s director of city planning, Matt Owens said Worth Recycling had advised Council that they were ‘‘treating, storing and then removing this waste from the site as a 100per cent recycled product, and that this water, when treated, will not be discharged to Council’s sewer system’’.
Worth Recycling’s general manager Steve Matthews told the Gazette Worth Recycling expected to start receiving flowback from the AGL Gloucester Project during January, with all recycled water being used for offsite industrial applications.
When the Gazette spoke to Mario Tesoriero from Worth Recycling in September last year, he said any water taken from the facility was ‘‘virtually tap water and was not a risk to the community’’.
Independent state candidate for Hawkesbury, Kate Mackaness said while Worth Recycling operated in a highly regulated environment, there needed to be more transparency through Council.
‘‘If produced water is again being processed in the LGA it is time clear protocols were introduced for regularly updated public access to information regarding transportation routes and vehicles, the recycling process, disposal of any waste or remnant materials, industries using the recycled water, volumes treated, destination of treated water and by-products and all results of chemical analysis,’’ she said.
Kurrajong resident Christine (who did not want to use her surname) was angry residents weren’t told the water would be processed at the South Windsor facility.
‘‘We live on a floodplain, we still don’t know how well the water is treated and what about the Hawkesbury River?’’ she said.
Councillor Mary Lyons-Buckett said while she had many concerns about CSG water being processed at a local facility, there’s a need for more information.
‘‘There are many risks with transporting the flowback water such as the risk of accident to tankers carrying the water, the impact on the roads as I believe there will be quite a large volume to be transported, and who will pay for the maintenance of these roads?’’ she said.
‘‘I don’t suggest Worth Recycling would be doing anything wrong, but my concern is that given the potential for some toxic components to be present it is important there is careful monitoring and accessible information about what volume is treated, how it is treated, how and where the recycled water is used and how any solid material or concentrated toxins removed during treatment are disposed of.’’
State Greens Hawkesbury candidate Danielle Wheeler said ‘‘nobody should have to put up with AGL’s toxic rubbish’’.
‘‘If AGL is trying to find somewhere to dump waste that no-one wants, it needs to accept there’s something fundamentally wrong with the CSG industry,’’ Ms Wheeler said.
‘‘We should be moving to renewable energy in the Hawkesbury, not receiving other regions’ unwanted waste.’’
