Geoscience B.C. is coming to Prince George with a message for the provincial government.
The earth-sciences agency is coming to the Premier's Natural Resources Forum next week at the end of their current contract, hoping the many cabinet ministers and resources-ministry staff people in attendance will see the benefits in extending the agency's mandate.
"We see ourselves as helping support the new, stronger economy of B.C. while protecting environmental values," said Robin Archdekin, who has been president and CEO of Geoscience B.C. since October. "We enable rational discussion around concerns and how to develop."
The agency is funded primarily by the provincial government but also through grants from industry and other sources. The data collected by their field studies is open to the public. It can be used as much by environmental groups as by industrial corporations or by First Nations and local governments.
"A new wave of scientific research would bring clarity and certainty to the ongoing public debate about the potential environmental impacts of natural gas development in British Columbia," Archdekin said.
The kind of data the agency collects is often value-added research for the provincial knowledge base. Most private-sector companies couldn't afford the kind of broad studies Geoscience does, and if they did, the data would be their own. This takes a huge financial burden off potential investors, but also leaves the data in the hands of all interests equally.
Some of the key work done by Geoscience in this area is studying the difficult subterranean terrain in the Vanderhoof / Prince George area where minerals and natural gas deposits are known to sit but in complex positions in the volcanic layers beneath local soils.
Exploring geothermal energy for remote First Nations is also a local project Geoscience has undertaken, in the hope of giving isolated rural communities a reliable power supply that doesn't rely on fossil fuels or hydroelectric connections.
Airshed health in the Terrace/Kitimat area is another northern priority for Geoscience but their foremost activity centre is the Peace region, where they have been called upon by all stakeholders involved to collect independent data on the liquified natural gas industry. It was their scientists who confirmed the LNG extraction process, better known as hydraulic fracturing or fracking, did cause small earthquakes in some instances.
They are also leading the search for saline aquafirs to use in the fracking recipe instead of taking massive amounts of freshwater from surface sources.
They have major studies underway in the key LNG extraction regions - Horn River Basin, Montney Fairway and Liard Basin - with hopes to do more work there.
"Geoscience B.C. has a really good reputation for being innovative, responsive and independent," Archdekin said. "We are apart from government and apart from industry. We are the honest broker of science and we present our results to everybody. It is public data, free for everybody. And it is responsive - we are looking at the areas of concern specifically."
According to Archdekin, no other province and no other country has a similar organization providing baseline data to all parties on behalf of the public. He said it gives B.C. a massive investment advantage as mining and petroleum companies look for places to set up shop.
"What we have heard from government is that they really appreciate the work we have done, and that it has been vital to industry and the overall public interest," Archdekin said. "We have heard that they are working on funding models that will be sustainable and long-term for the province. We are encouraged to hear their positive feedback, and from industry and local governments too, including First Nations. But we also recognize that governments must be fiscally responsible."
Anyone, including government and other stakeholders, can learn about Geoscience in Prince George. They are exhibitors at the Premier's Natural Resources Forum, set for Jan. 22 and 23.
