Photo: “This is one of two drill rig transports with BC plates spotted in Woodstock area, heading east.”
It could well be another summer and fall of community and First Nation resistance to Texas-based SWN Resources and their plans to frack New Brunswick.
In April, CBC reported, “SWN Resources Canada intends to drill four exploratory wells in the next phase of its exploration program for potential shale gas development in New Brunswick. …It will be surveying land and doing other preparations for drilling the exploratory wells (this year). It expects the (exploratory) wells to be drilled in (the summer of) 2015. …Two of the exploratory wells are planned for Kent County, in Saint-Charles and Galloway. The other two are planned for Queens County, in the vicinity of Bronston Settlement Road and the Pangburn area.”
This morning, this photo was shared on Facebook with the caption, “Eyes open! This is one of two drill rig transports with BC plates spotted in Woodstock area, heading east.” We can’t verify that this is a SWN truck heading to the areas where the wells are planned, but Woodstock is about 200 kilometres west of Bronson Settlement and Pangburn, and 300 kilometres west of Saint-Charles and Galloway.
It’s also possible that this is a fracking rig destined for Penobsquis, where, as Council of Canadians water campaigner Emma Lui tell us, fracking has already impacted the right to water.
We don’t know, but it’s clear that people in New Brunswick are keeping a watchful eye for the return of SWN and are very concerned about fracking in their province.
The Council of Canadians has called for a ban on fracking in New Brunswick. In April, a Council of Canadians delegation – with Board, staff and chapter activists – visited the Elsipogtog First Nation and expressed our solidarity and continued commitment to protect water and stop SWN from fracking on their territory.
In her blog about that visit, Council of Canadians water campaigner Emma Lui wrote, “Shale gas is a heated and divisive topic, particularly with the provincial election coming up on September 22, 2014. We can be certain that opposition will continue, especially if SWN Resources does return this year.”
