River Burns in South-West Queensland
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382033)
Rockingham, Australia
April 23, 2016 9:34pm CST
I've just watched a clip on Facebook which is very worrying. A guy holds a match to the waters of the Condamine River near Chinchilla in south-western Queensland and the water ignites. The Greens political party are blaming fracking by coal seam gas operations less than a mile away for leaking methane into the river.
Apparently methane has been bubbling in the river since 2012. Other possible reasons have been put forward for the methane leak but environmentalists are seriously concerned. The river 'burnt' for over an hour. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, is done about the fracking. I wonder if anything drinks this water?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-23/condamine-river-bubbling-methane-gas-set-alight-greens-mp/7352578
12 people like this
16 responses
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
24 Apr 16
This is worrying- they're should be a public outcry about this fracking- it's destroying an already fragile system and dee
r and all kinds of things drink from rivers and lakes.
r and all kinds of things drink from rivers and lakes.2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40846)
• Laguna Woods, California
24 Apr 16
I agree that there should be a public outcry about this fracking. It is very scary!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382033)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Apr 16
@marymargll @DeborahDiane I was horrified. They don't tell you the whole story when they're trying to sell these ideas to the public.
1 person likes this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
24 Apr 16
@DeborahDiane I hear about it everywhere- in Canada- they do a lot of it out west.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153530)
• India
24 Apr 16
Industrial chemical spills are very common. We have had that issue all over but this was the limit
IT professional Debasish Ghosh has been documenting a snowy toxic foam in Bangalore’s lakes
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40846)
• Laguna Woods, California
24 Apr 16
Industrial chemical spills are another source of danger to the environment.
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
24 Apr 16
That's bad. Why aren't there regulations and strict watching?
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382033)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Apr 16
You'd have to ask the question wouldn't you? I'm hoping a TV station might make some mileage out of it.
@teamfreak16 (43586)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Apr 16
There has been a huge fracking debate going here in Colorado the last couple years.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382033)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Apr 16
They are using it both sides of the country here. Half the boffins say it's okay; the other half disagree. You don't know who to believe but if you can set a river alight it can't be a good thing.
@GardenGerty (169474)
• United States
24 Apr 16
That sounds like it is definitely a cause for concern. I hope nothing depends on this river for water.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40846)
• Laguna Woods, California
24 Apr 16
Personally, I think that fracking is a dangerous plan. It is great that engineers know who to extract oil this way if we are ever in desperate circumstances. However, I think more emphasis needs to be placed on safer alternative energy sources. I live in an area that gets frequent earthquakes. Fracking increases earthquakes. Very simply, we don't need more than we already get.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382033)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Apr 16
Some things just aren't worth the price we're paying. Everyone is so greedy and seem to have to have results immediately instead of taking a bit more time and doing things safely.
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
25 Apr 16
@JudyEv Yes they will, and then they'll have a situation on their hands like we have in Flint, Michigan where the city decided to allow the people to drink contaminated water straight from the river. They're having to pay for that one.
1 person likes this
@sgbrown (1638)
• United States
28 Apr 16
This is really scary, Judy! Methane gas can be very dangerous! It must be contaminating the water that any wildlife around there drinks too. I hate to think of the long term ramifications this could have! I hope someone does something about this very soon!
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
24 Apr 16
I was just wondering about any possible side effects from drinking it.... 
1 person likes this
