Traditional owners and a water scientist want the federal government to investigate reports of more fracking fluid and wastewater spills by Beetaloo Basin gas companies.
Custodians have been shocked to see lingering damage following a spill of 2,000 litres of contaminated wastewater by Empire Energy last year.
Indigenous traditional owners and a water scientist are alarmed there have been more fracking chemical spills by gas companies exploring the Northern Territory's Beetaloo Basin.
Wuyaliya custodian Asman Rory said he was devastated after visiting the site of a 2,000 litre contaminated fracking wastewater spill by Empire Energy-Imperial Oil near Borroloola two weeks ago.
Mr Rory said he was surprised by the lingering damage from the December spill.
"Where the spillage was there was dead trees, dead grass, that's pretty concerning because of the contamination," he said.
He and other traditional owners were accompanied by University of Western Sydney environmental scientist Ian Wright.
"There was a very clear line of dead vegetation, it killed everything, the trees, the shrubs — and eucalypts are tough," Professor Wright said.
He said he was not allowed by Empire Energy to test fracking water on the well site, but was given a report by the company, seen by the ABC, listing a series of toxic metals present in its wastewater.
The report said the water contained high levels of strontium, barium, lithium, boron, manganese and zinc.
"I suspect some of that contamination will be residual pollution on the land," Professor Wright said.
"I'm also concerned that it will percolate down through the soil into the aquifer."