Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last few years we’ve heard increasingly about the mining process called hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, is a process where sand, water and chemicals are blasted into rock formations, such as shale, coal beds and tight sands, to gain access to trapped natural gas deposits. This injection process creates cracks in the rock formations and allows the gas to flow up the well.
Fracking has been linked to earthquakes in the United States, caused gas infiltrations into aquifers and, thus, several communities’ water supply, created environmental contamination from the chemicals used in the process, has been banned in several Canadian jurisdictions, has been condemned by the Dene Nation, and last but not least, uses huge quantities of water.
The Council of Canadians opposes fracking because of its high carbon emissions, its high water use and the danger it poses to polluting groundwater and local drinking water. People living in communities where fracking projects are underway have reported health concerns and burning water where water from household taps catches fire due to residual methane gas from the fracking operations.
At my recent constituency meeting, constituents expressed their concerns about fracking: the effect of fracking on permafrost – nobody’s considered that; that we have no knowledge in the NWT of our groundwater – our aquifers are not mapped; and that we have little, if any NWT research on fracking. Now this process is likely coming to the NWT. It’s already just across the southwestern border in BC and is being strongly considered for gas and oil extraction in the Sahtu.
I’m not against development. I’m not against the expansion and the growth of our economy, but I do feel we must temper any development with strong consideration of the effects it will have on our environment. So little is known about how the fracking process impacts the lands and peoples close to any development that uses it. I understand the Ministers of ITI and ENR are looking into these impacts and I’m very glad to hear that. It’s of utmost importance that NWT residents know what we’re getting ourselves into if we allow this process for oil and gas development.
The NWT may not be able to control approval of the development, but we can certainly do two things: one, take an active role in the environmental assessment process and be an intervener in any process; and, two, we can do the necessary research to understand the risks and the impacts that fracking will have on our territory.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
To quote the Council of Canadians: “We need the facts about fracks.” It’s the responsibility of a government to protect its people. This government must take the appropriate actions to do just that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
