Would our government put fracking before healthy communities?
We are learning more about the dangers of 'fracking' all the time. Public policy in BC, however, seems to be slow to catch up to the risks.
In fact, the BC government is moving full steam ahead with a massive expansion of shale gas development in BC -- much of it involving hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking -- while down playing the significance of a health review of this risky industry that their very own government initiated.
Last spring environmental groups joined with local residents to call for a full public inquiry into the health impacts of the oil and gas industry in British Columbia. The government promised a review, and hired a consultant for $100,000 to examine this important issue.
Despite government claims that they have “instituted some of the most stringent safety procedures in the world for natural gas development”, the risks are very real. Just ask the small town of Pouce Coupe, where in 2009 a leak of deadly sour gas forced the entire community to evacuate.
Or you could ask the members of the Fort Nelson First Nation, who are afraid to drink the water on their traditional territory because of the years of contamination from the oil and gas sector.
In all cases, people living next to gas wells face very real threats, and they deserve adequate protection from their government.
It is unacceptable that the BC government is blindly charging forward with aggressive expansion of the shale gas industry without a full understanding of the impact it is having on the health of British Columbians.
They need to know that putting a dirty fossil fuel industry ahead of people’s health is unacceptable.
Thanks so much,
Tria Donaldson | Campaigner
Wilderness Committee
ps - Jurisdictions throughout Europe and North America have instituted strict measures regulating and in some cases banning fracking. In Canada, the province of Quebec currently has a moratorium in place.
