Ban Elk Valley CBM, before it conjures up a fracking nightmare
Submitted by admin on March 15, 2011 - 11:02
CBM production uses technology that’s been banned in Quebec, New York and France.
What involves deep drilling, creates large volumes of waste water and unleashes chemical cocktails? What makes tap water flammable and prompts provinces, states and countries to ban it?
If you said fracking, you’re right.
Fracking is shorthand for hydraulic fracturing. It’s a process used in deep natural gas and coalbed methane well drilling. It was recently banned by the province of Quebec, the states of New York and New Jersey and the nation of France.
Fracking is still allowed in B.C., however.
And fracking would likely be the go-to technology for coalbed methane extraction in the Elk Valley.
“We know fracking has already happened at test wells in the Elk Valley,” said Ryland Nelson, Wildsight’s Southern Rockies program coordinator. “It could be happening soon near Sparwood and Fernie.”
Wildsight and Citizens Concerned About Coalbed Methane are asking B.C. to ban fracking.
The groups say too little is known about groundwater geology in the Elk Valley to allow fracking.
“Fracking would experiment with Elk Valley groundwater,” Nelson said, noting that Fernie will soon change over to an underground domestic water system.
“The closest groundwater monitoring well is in Cranbrook,” he said. “There’s no adequate monitoring of groundwater in the Elk Valley. Fracking could introduce toxic waste water and drilling by-products into our water supply.”
“Long story short,” Nelson said, “We need comprehensive baseline studies of our groundwater in the Elk Valley before any further drilling or fracking goes ahead. And mandatory environmental assessments that consider the entire project not just well by well permits”
“And to see this happen, residents are going to have to learn about it and move on it before it’s too late and the damage is done. We need the Province to ban fracking until it is known to be perfectly safe for nearby groundwater supplies.”
Wildsight will host a showing of Gasland, The Movie in Fernie on March 21 at 7pm at the Arts Station. The Oscar nominated film explores how fracking has affected communities across the United States.
“Maybe you oppose CBM development on principle, maybe you think it’s completely benign—either way, you will learn something if you see this movie,” Nelson said. “It’s free to the public and should make for an interesting discussion afterwards.”
Visit www.ekcbm.org, the East Kootenay Citizens Concerned About Coalbed Methane website, for more information and to sign up for updates.
Take Action here - http://www.ekcbm.org/take-action-write-e-mail
Contact:
Ryland Nelson • Southern Rockies Program Co-ordinator• 250.531.0445 • Ryland@Wildsight.ca
