DON'T FRACK PEI

Amnesty International is deeply concerned by the Province of New Brunswick’s response to anti-fracking protests at the Elsipogtog Mi’kmaq Nation.  The inherent land rights of Aboriginal peoples cannot be ignored in the day-to-day operations of the government. Read the story here.

SWN has started seismic testing again in NB, and the protesters are back on the roads. Here’s a note from Brad Walters, Professor & Coordinator of Environmental Studies at Mount Allison University:

Things have heated-up very quickly in Kent County over the weekend. I spent the afternoon up at the site today and intend to return during the week. The protest is peaceful and attended by all ages (including lots of local high-school kids!). But it is also clear that protesters have now seriously drawn a line in the sand, so-to-speak, so I encourage folks to make time for a visit and show support. Police are permitting people to park outside the blockade (on either side) and walk in-and-out of the site unimpeded. See attached map of the location. Brad

http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/story/two-arrests-ongoing-new-brunswick-anti-frack-stand/19074

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/rexton-road-blocked-by-shale-gas-protesters-1.1873350

Nova Scotia is commissioning an independent review of the effects of hydraulic fracturing, including public consultations and creating a panel of experts. Energy Minister Charlie Parker announced today, Aug. 28, Cape Breton University president David Wheeler will head the review. Mr. Wheeler will consult with interested parties and technical experts on the social, economic, and environmental and health impacts of hydraulic fracturing, a technique that frees natural gas trapped in shale rock formations. It will also include public consultations.

Read the press release here

Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians, and one of Canada’s leading voices for environmental, social and economic justice, will be delivering an important speech at the Capitol Theatre, 811 Main Street in Moncton, on Tuesday, August 6, 2013, at 7 p.m.  Her talk will cover the dangers of shale gas development in New Brunswick among other related issues.

Barlow, an acknowledged leader in the international water justice movement, is often called the “Al Gore of water.” She founded the Blue Planet Project that works with grassroots groups around the world to stop the commodification of the world’s fresh water resources. She was named the first Advisor on Water to the United Nations and in 2008 was given Canada’s highest environmental honour, the Citation of Lifetime Achievement Award.

The recent revelation that the New Brunswick government has granted a permit to SWN Resources Canada to do seismic testing in various wetlands and watercourse buffers throughout eight counties including Westmorland, Albert, Kent, and Northumberland, has caught her attention. She has called the democratic grassroots movement in New Brunswick for clean energy and against unconventional shale gas mining “inspiring”. “The people of New Brunswick are organizing, from the ground up, to protect the land for future generations,” she says.

Ms. Barlow, who has fond childhood memories of summers in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, will be coming home in a way. Besides her appearance at the Capitol Theatre on August 6, she will visit the Elsipogtog Sacred Fire in Kent County and the Council of Canadians’ Fredericton chapter. Maude Barlow is an internationally sought speaker and truly one of Canada’s most renowned citizens. The August 6 event is  free and open to the public.  Co-sponsors are the Council of Canadians, the Tantramar Alliance Against Hydrofracking, Water and Environment Protection for Albert County, Memramcook Action, and the new Moncton chapter of the Council of Canadians.

If you need a ride over then let us know, and we can coordinate ride-sharing.

Fracking adds stress to fault lines, making the ground more susceptible to earthquakes, which can be triggered by distant seismic events. In the UK, earthquakes caused by fracking are a major cause of concern for the public. Here is a recent article out of the USA: Distant seismic activity can trigger quakes at ‘fracking’ sites

Gasland 2 is premiering tomorrow, and we’ll let you know when it arrives on PEI. Here is an interview with Josh Fox, the maker of Gasland, talking about how methane leaks are making fracking a major contributor to climate change.

MONCTON – The government’s strategy to ignore shale gas opponents and presume that this summer’s seismic testing and fracking plans are a done deal has opened a new front. This morning, an alliance consisting of 27 community groups, unions and associations representing more than 50,000 New Brunswickers from across the province delivered an open letter to SWN Resources Canada and their exploration contractor Geokinetics Inc., as well as other shale oil and gas companies operating in New Brunswick. The letter states that these companies do not have a social license to operate in this province and demands a halt to further exploration and drilling. A social license is jargon from the mining industry that indicates whether or not a company has the consent of the local communities where they plan to operate.

“Two months ago, we sent an open letter to Minister Leonard explaining that the provincial government has no mandate to move ahead with exploration for shale gas. The letter demanded a complete halt to their plans until they had consent from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. This letter was ignored. So, we are now addressing our demands directly to industry”, said Dr. Julia Linke, a landscape ecologist and member of the Fredericton Chapter of the Council of Canadians. “There are many people in Kent and Albert Counties who do not welcome seismic testing and fracking in their backyards, so we are urging industry to reconsider their plans. It is irresponsible to operate without a social license, which is what they are intending to do”, concluded Dr. Linke.

“We categorically condemn any planned or improvised act of violence or vandalism against these companies, and emphatically discourage any person to take part in any violent action” stressed Dr. Jean Louis Deveau, a social scientist and chair of the Fredericton Chapter of the Council of Canadians. “With this letter, we are trying to avoid civil disobedience which often occurs whenever good, law-abiding citizens have not given their consent to be put in harms way. But if it does occur, I think most people will blame the government for ignoring the serious concerns many New Brunswickers have about this industry and for failing to obtain or even seek their consent”, concluded Dr. Deveau.

Inverness County Council in Nova Scotia voted five to one in favour of an anti-fracking bylaw during a meeting on Monday afternoon.
http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2013-05-06/article-3236517/Inverness-passes-fracking-bylaw/1

Oil exploration in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has been in the news recently. The Save Our Seas and Shores Coalition collected over 1200 signatures and presented a petition to the PEI legislature on April 30th. See their website for more details.

A gas leak at the PotashCorp mine in Penobsquis in February combined with confirmation that no air quality monitoring is being done in the rural community throws into question whether the New Brunswick government can regulate the shale gas industry. Read more here