My name is Merissa Campbell, I am 24 years old. I live in Kennetcook, Nova Scotia. I grew up in Kennetcook and my family members all live in the area. I love this community, it is full of wonderful people who care about their neighbors. I would be content to live in this community for the rest of my existence. However there is something that I fear is going happen in Kennetcook that will threaten our health, our water supply, and our environment. That something is hydraulic fracturing!
As you are aware in 2007, hydraulic fracturing also known as fracking techniques were used to drill test wells in the Kennetcook area. Triangle Petroleum drilled these wells in search of shale gas. At the time these wells were drilled there were no rules or regulation in the province regarding fracking. As the Department of Environment says “the industry got ahead of legislation”. Obviously the department knew nothing about the fracking process, because they did not know that afterwards there would be brine water leftover and something would have to be done with it. NSE would not give Triangle the approval to reinject the waste water back into the wells and so it was put into storage ponds that were built to hold fresh water. From there the situation turned into a disaster. Millions of litres of this water were flushed in the Bay of Fundy untreated. The storage ponds have leaked several times, contaminating the surrounding soil and ground water. Dead animals have even been found around the ponds. As public concern grew, the government was pressured for answers. It’s been 7 years now, and although meetings have been held and NSE appears to be trying to find a solution, the waste water remains in Kennetcook. Only recently were water test results from the ponds released to the public and now we are waiting for Atlantic Industrial Services in Debert to come forward with a proposal to treat the waste water. Which NSE and AIS claim can be done safely and the finished product will meet Health Canada safety guidelines to be released into freshwater. Residents worry that approval of this process for treating frack water will create opportunity for future operations in Nova Scotia.
Unfortunately our community has become a prime example of what can happen as a result of fracking. Residents are very concerned because we all rely on private wells for our water. We are scared that our water will be compromised, and our health put at risk.
With regards to the hydraulic fracturing review I have questions and comments that I hope will be considered since submitting a letter seems to be the only avenue for public input.
I agree that an independent review is the best way to study the hydraulic fracturing process and decide whether it is right for our province or not. However for this review to be completely independent it should be independent of government and industry. I understand that it will be important to have insight into the industry and to know specific details about the process, however to include professionals that are currently involved in oil and gas operations seems like a conflict of interest. Obviously industry professionals who make money from oil and gas operations have a biased opinion about drilling.
It appears that the review will be done by evaluating literature, however since there is no research on the effects of fracking in Nova Scotia, how can we base our decisions solely on literature? As you know Nova Scotia has very unique geology, and I am sure this factor will be discussed on the panel. However without actual research on the risks of the fracking procedure disturbing mineral and NORMs deposits that we have in Nova Scotia, how can we know what is going to happen? Can we really rule out contamination of our water supply?The Kennetcook area contains medium and high risk zones for Radon, Uranium and Arsenic, which can be very harmful to the human body. Why would we want to disturb these and expose ourselves to the risks? How can we know for sure that fissures will not provide a pathway for dangerous minerals to our aquifers and ground water? Also how can we guarantee long term safety for our drinking water when we have no research on long term effects of disturbing our bedrock and promoting fissures and fractures?
I am scared that an oil company will come in and drill here, the government will try to ease our minds with short term testing and then we will be on our own. Left to deal with the long term affects. People may forget about the drilling and the possibility of contamination. Wells will go untested, and perhaps there will be sickness as a result.
Another issue I have with this review is the approach to including public input. Many residents in our community for example, are seniors who don’t have access to the internet or know how to send an email. Also there are people who oppose fracking, but won’t go to the trouble of writing a letter. How do we know that our emails are even being read? I think there should be other avenues for public input, because these are the people that your decisions will affect! There should be public meetings, surveys, individual interviews, etc. Most people feel like the decision is being made without them, and meetings will only be held once the decision has already been made. I also think that one of the most significant samples of people to interview would be those in areas already affected by fracking, i.e. those in Hants and Inverness Counties. Triangle Petroleum plans to pursue more shale gas exploration in Kennetcook pending legislation. They plan to drill over 200 wells here, so I think that what Kennetcook residents want should be considered by your panel!
I also think that panel discussions should be documented and made available to the public. There shouldn’t be anything to hide right? I want to know about every key point that is made, not just what the final decision is. I fear that no matter what the panel discusses, the industry will dictate the decision. How can you prove that this isn’t the case if the panel discussions are hidden from the public?
Individuals have their own views on hydraulic fracturing, but no matter what an individual wants, if an oil company wants to drill on their land they cannot object. This is a horrifying fact! My parents own 45 acres of land in Kennetcook. My father cuts his own wood that they heat their home with from his land. My sister has talked about maybe building a house on that land in the future. We enjoy walking our dog through the woods on this land and enjoying nature. This property is very important to our family. If a company were to come and drill on the land it would no doubt destroy what we value about it and ruin our future plans for the property! Many people in Kennetcook are in this same situation. They own land that they have worked hard for and has be in their family for years. They enjoy their land and have dreams for it. Why should this be taken away from them!
Lastly, I don’t think that the deadline of June 30, 2014 is realistic if we are expecting an in depth review. Considering the amount of information to be reviewed and the fact that more issues will emerge over time as more research is done, and statistics are published I think that the ban on fracking should be extended, and the deadline for the review moved. It would be nice if we had time for a review that could definitively determine that fracking will not harm our resources, our environment, or the general public in any way, or the extraction procedure should be prohibited, like the Liberal Party promised. I would have more confidence in a review conducted over a time period longer than only a few months!
I will conclude my letter by saying this: Can you imagine the only place you have ever known to as home is being compromised and there is nothing you can do about it. It is a devastating feeling!
Resources:
NOFRAC.com (Open Letter to the Government),