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The anti-fracking alliance says it has provided new data on water pollution from shale gas mining activity in the US to the Minister of Mineral Resources, Ngoako Ramathlodi.
It says the Wall Street Journal reported the revelations following lawsuits and open-record requests filed by Association Press and other news outlets in connection with drilling-related water contamination cases in Pennsylvania.
Jonathan Deal of Treasure Karoo Action Group says a review of files of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection had revealed 243 cases where state regulators had concluded drilling companies were responsible for impacting private drinking water wells.
He says this flies in the face of claims by the international oil and gas industry, including Shell South Africa, denying the existence of even one documented case of ground water pollution from fracking.
This latest report, according to TKAG, deals only with Pennsylvania and as such is realistically the tip of the iceberg of shale gas mining pollution in the US. “There are many reasons why this information have been concealed, and continues to be concealed from the public. As with all issues of this nature, the truth will eventually emerge, as has happened now in Pennsylvania.
The anti-fracking alliance is delighted that this has come to the fore only days after the Department of Minerals was blowing its own trumpet about how it will protect water supply of South Africa.”
The Director General (DG) of the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), Mr Thibedi Ramontja, on Wednesday briefed the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, telling the committee that he is “confident water will be protected."
The Wall Street Journal reported the revelations following US lawsuits and open-records requests filed by the Associated Press and other news outlets in connection with drilling-related water contamination cases, compelling the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to make documents available. Finally, after a thorough review of paper files stored in its regional office, the DEP report revealed 243 cases where state regulators concluded drilling companies were responsible for impacting private drinking water wells.
The auditor general for Pennsylvania reportedly stated last month that the system of the DEP responsible for the handling complaints was “woefully inadequate”. TKAG stated: “This is a landmark report which our government must seriously consider before any steps are taken to advance shale gas exploration or extraction. Not only does the US government data disprove the claims by Shell and the South African government that shale gas mining is safe, but it also validates the concerns that we have raised since early 2011.”
Julius Kleynhans, Head of Environmental Affairs for AfriForum noted that the DMR is betting a lot on the (unseen) South African regulations which are based on the American Petroleum Institute standards.
“The API standards are not fool-proof and in South Africa sufficient research, especially with regards to the unique geology of the region, has not been completed, leaving the current regulations completely inadequate as a base for appropriate regulations in South Africa. It is a recipe for disaster and a huge uncalculated risk, ” he concluded.
