A big issue for me and one that those not versed in the science will probably not pick up, is the flawed testing regime being used by the Official Testers. From all the evidence I have seen they test for Hydrogen Sulphide, C02 and Methane. Whilst it would be expected that these compounds would be present in any escapee gases from the seam, science demands we do not make our observations on our expectations. The objective evidence of physical effects on livestock, plants, people and the flaming of water bore means that such things need rigorous investiagtion. Not a brief sampling of narrow parrameters and then a pronoucement that all "tests" are clear as defined by Government Standards and there is therefore no contamination of the aquifer from the seam. That is not a scientific approach to proving the cause of the cases described. They have not examined the observed phenomena and explained what subtances are present in the water and gasses released from the bore. It should be noted that such events are not isolated incidents in Oz and indeed they have received some significant exposure.
Extrapolate to my second post about the vanishing of the Thirmere Lakes. Eminent Scientists have expressed concern regarding the depressurisation of the aquifer and the permeability of the previously (thought to be) impervious rock strata. Notice that these scientists never speak in absolutes, they remain questioning and seeking the facts. They say they do not know whilst the Authorities and Comercial interests tell us all is well and the mining and drilling operations have had no discernable impacts. It is the same approach, the approved testing regimen is too narrowly focused and ignores or disregards information which does not fit the parameters. This is not science and such results as posted by narrow testing means accompanied by absolute statements as evidenced in those clips should be met with scepticism.
The core issue remains for me, if the industry scientists are wrong, and the evidence has not really been tested to say one way or the other, it is impossible by any means I am aware of (I was a Biological Science grad. not engineering) to remediate an aquifer. To my mind the only sensible course of action is to err on the side of caution with a finite resource (water) in our country where this resource means life itself. That would mean we don't allow any further drilling until the weight of scientific evidence supports the industry's claims of minimal to no impact on aquifiers.