CBC reports, “Alberta’s NDP leader says fracking has increased dramatically in the province and he wants more information about the impact on drinking water. Alberta government statistics show there has been a 647 per cent increase in hydraulic fracking licences, from 203 in 2012 to 1,516 last year.
NDP leader Brian Mason says, “We don’t know the environmental impact and we also don’t know the potential impact of this process on drinking water. …We just don’t know the impact that this is having either on the environment in the surface – or beneath the ground – and the impact that it may have on drinking water.”
The Globe and Mail adds, “He said the water loss alone is sobering, with more than 17 million cubic metres used in 2013.”
“Mason said it’s too late for a moratorium on fracking in Alberta. …He suggested Premier Alison Redford’s government should undertake an independent scientific review of hydraulic fracturing and use independent groundwater monitoring before further projects get approved.”
And the Edmonton Sun notes, “Mason pointed to a proposed fracking project by Goldenkey Oil Inc. within Lethbridge city limits that’s currently being opposed by residents who say the project is located too close to homes, schools and businesses in the city.”
The Council of Canadians Lethbridge chapter is opposing an oil drilling project in west Lethbridge by Calgary-based Goldenkey Oil Inc. that could start early this year. The potential drilling site is reportedly upstream of the city’s water treatment plant and upwind of several west-side neighbourhoods.
We have also helped to organize the Alberta Fracking Resource & Action Coalition. ABFRAC is a network of organizations and individuals in Alberta concerned about the impacts of unconventional hydraulic fracturing. If you’re concerned about fracking in Alberta and want to connect with a growing network of individuals, communities, and organizations working on fracking there, please Like their new Facebook page.
Further reading
Lethbridge chapter opposes oil drilling within city
A Fractivist’s Toolkit (Alberta section)
