Dawson Creek
There are reports this morning that Dawson Creek, British Columbia is selling its wastewater for fracking operations in the Peace River Country area.
The Council of Canadians has expressed its opposition to Moncton, New Brunswick and Inverness County, Nova Scotia selling their drinking water for fracking operations, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=4664 and http://canadians.org/media/water/2011/12-Sep-11.html. We have also stated our opposition to the proposal for fracking waste fluids to be treated at the wastewater facility in Niagara Falls, New York, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=10806.
With respect to Dawson Creek, the CBC reported this week that, “The shale gas industry is booming in northeastern British Columbia, but residents in the region argue the industry is making them sick. Shale gas fracking — blasting water, sand and chemicals into deep, underground rocks to release natural gas — is a controversial means of drilling for gas. Critics claim fracking contaminates groundwater, boosts greenhouse gas emissions and threatens the health of those who live nearby. …They have the support of public health officials, including medical health officer Dr. Charl Badenhorst of the Northern Health Authority. He wants proper tracking and surveillance in place to determine whether B.C.’s gas fields are a health hazard.”
Another CBC report adds, “The expansion is backed by B.C. Premier Christy Clark, who insists the industry is safe and poses little risk to the environment ‘It is time to show everyone how safely this business is done,’ Clark said in a recent interview. ‘The province feels very strongly that fracking is safely regulated in British Columbia.'”
Dawson Creek is represented locally by Mayor Mike Bernier and a six member council, provincially by Liberal MLA Blair Lekstrom, and federally by Conservative MP Bob Zimmer.
More soon.
