If you have an opinion about the health risks of oil and gas operations in northeastern B.C. and what those companies should or should not be doing in their exploration activities, the Fraser Basin Council wants to hear from you.
Should hydraulic fracking be banned in B.C., like it is in Quebec and Ohio, or are there methods to protect ground water wells?
The public consultation process has begun and Fraser Basin Council (FBC) executive director David Marshall will be using that information as part of scientific review to be presented to the Ministry of Health by March 31.
"Phase 1 is to identify the key issues of concern and there will be a Phase 2 assessment phase and most likely there will also be an opportunity [for the public] to participate in that phase too," said Marshall.
"We know that some oil and gas development is taking place up in the northeast and there are possibilities of expansion, so now's the time to get people's views."
The provincial government is paying FBC $100,000 to conduct the study, which began on Jan. 3.
Private citizens can provide their feedback to the Fraser Basin Council through its website www.hhra.ca, by e-mailing [email protected] or calling 1-855-664-4472. Letters can also be mailed c/o Fraser Basin Council, 1st Floor, 470 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. V6C 1V5. The deadline for all submissions is March 7.
Marshall will be available to meet personally with regional stakeholders upon request.
The Horn River Shale Formation northwest of Fort Nelson is one of the largest shale gas deposits in North America. Horizontal drilling and fracturing techniques are used to extract the gas from the non-permeable shale rock deep below the surface. The fracking process uses chemicals such as benzene and the process has been linked to contamination of well water sources in Wyoming.
But Marshall said the geological formations in northeastern B.C. are much different from that of Wyoming.
That could mean there's less risk in using that process to extract the province's natural gas.
He expects the public will raise issues about fracturing techniques and their effects on the environment, among other topics.
"It's more than just fracking," said Marshall. "It's the whole oil and gas development and all the stages of it and it focuses on the direct and indirect health risks associated with oil and gas development.
"Some people may be concerned about the operations and air quality, water quality and there may be occupational health issues for people involved in the sector. We want to hear what they think and what they have to say."
Marshall will be in Fort Nelson today and Tuesday and will be in Fort St. John on Feb. 14.
"We're trying to make it easy for people to participate, which is why we're spending so much time up front providing the tools to enable their participation and we're here to listen," Marshall said.
