City needed its own shale gas resolution

 

THE DAILY GLEANER

Editorial

15 Apr 2012 06:07AM

Fredericton did the right thing earlier this week in reaffirming its opposition to shale gas development in the municipality.

Even though the city has verbally voiced its dislike for the practice in the past, it’s smart to be proactive and put it in writing in this highly divisive debate.

Environmental groups have long demanded that such a move be made and city council accommodated with a strongly worded resolution.

For one thing, it’ll serve as a strong deterrent in preventing exploration companies from carrying out seismic testing inside city limits without first obtaining approval from the municipality.

In other words, it will forestall a repeat of what happened in Sussex in 2011, when Windsor Energy, a Calgary-based exploration company, conducted such testing inside town limits without a green light from the municipality.

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as hydro-fracking, is a technique that sees a pressurized mix of water and other substances injected into shale rock formations or coal beds to release trapped natural gas.

The adopted resolution stated “that there be no exploration or development of shale gas in Fredericton without the permission of Fredericton city council. Be it further resolved that the city of Fredericton requests the province of New Brunswick to take the necessary steps to ensure groundwater, air quality monitoring is done in and around shale gas operations in order to protect groundwater sources throughout the province and to take the necessary steps to continue to preserve and enhance the quality of the St. John River, the source of a large percentage of the groundwater supply and the City of Fredericton’s drinking water.”

The motion is worded in such a manner that future councils can reverse it, should the need arise.

Environmentalists had asked the city to go a step further and call for a province-wide moratorium.

Local environmental activist Mark D’Arcy told council that the potential for shale gas exploration to generate air pollution, regardless of where it was taking place, was real. He suggested emissions from truck traffic, compression stations, drilling pads, as well the risk of spilled fluids and the intentional venting of natural gas were serious issues and all would contribute to air pollution.

Mayor Brad Woodside rejected the adoption of a broader-based resolution, saying he had dealt with the issue a year earlier and that deeper concerns should be addressed to the province.

“The motion was reflective of what I said publicly almost a year ago that there would be none. I don’t know how much clearer we can be than that,” the mayor said. “We have said there will be no exploration; there will be no drilling. I don’t know how you could interpret that any other way.”

We agree.

The issue as it pertains to Fredericton is closed.

Concerns beyond city boundaries should be expressed directly to the New Brunswick government.

This may be a council that’s not made up its mind on the bigger issue, but it is taking control of its own territory.

http://www.telegraphjournal.com/tjonline/thedailygleanerfrederictonopinion/9982596-266/gas-fredericton-shale-exploration.html.csp