Sad day for wildlife as Province gives BP key to the Elk Valley

Dec 05, 2008

Meanwhile, Shell is shutdown for two years in northwestern B.C. for further community consultation

Fernie, B.C. — The multinational oil corporation BP has been given the go-ahead to develop coalbed methane in a 300-square kilometre stretch of Rocky Mountain wilderness west of Fernie, the B.C. government announced today.

In brokering the deal with BP, the B.C. Liberals ignored concerns from the local community and the City of Fernie, who strongly oppose CBM in the the Southern Rockies region without further review. (See backgrounder attached.)

“The government claimed today that there is support from local governments for this tenure. The reality is the community with the most to lose, Fernie, is firmly opposed and the community furthest away and upstream, Elkford, is the only one in support,” said Casey Brennan, Wildsight’s Southern Rockies program manager.

“It is very disappointing that the Provincial government can ignore the strong message of opposition from the City of Fernie and issue BP tenure,” said Aaron Goos, City of Fernie councillor. “I will be looking to see what options are available to us at this point.”

Wildsight is frustrated after years of asking for open dialogue with the Province about the environmental costs of CBM. Wildsight contends that BP’s access to these public lands will allow a repeat performance of their already dismal environmental track record.

The granting of this tenure effectively blankets an area that has a multitude of other industrial uses already occurring or proposed. A strip mine and an underground coal mine, as well as an 80 megawatt wind farm, are all proposed for this same critical wildlife area without any evaluation of the cumulative effects of these industrial projects.

“The B.C. government is issuing tenure and allowing exploration for subsurface resources while ignoring the need to steward the impacts on water and wildlife,” said Brennan.

“Why have they not respected the concernsof the citizens in the Elk Valley and granted BP tenure, yet at the same time they have imposed a two-year moratorium on CBM development in northwestern B.C.? Are our concerns less valid then those in the northwest?”

Wildsight has three main concerns about BP’s tenure to this area: wildlife, water and due process. Please refer to the backgrounder attached for details on the concerns with these issues.

“This is a sad day for democracy and an even sadder day for wilderness,” Brennan said. “The provincial government is ignoring the concerns of community members and BP is now able to begin the industrialization of our wild Rocky Mountain backcountry. The B.C. government has given the keys to BP without even attempting to understand what the long term effects will be.”

Let BC Premier Gordon Campbell and Minister of Energy and Mines Richard Neufeld know your thoughts on this recent announcement by sending a quick message here -http://www.cccbm.org/take-action-write-e-mail
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For more information, contact:
Casey Brennan
Wildsight Southern Rockies and Flathead Program Manager
casey@wildsight.ca • 250.423.2603 – h • 250.423.0402 - c

Aaron Goos
City of Fernie Councillor
Aaron.goos@gmail.com • 250.531.0995

About Wildsight
Wildsight works locally, regionally and globally to protect biodiversity and encourage sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and Southern Rocky Mountain region. This area is internationally recognized as a keystone to conservation in western North America. For more information, please visit www.wildsight.ca