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Skeena MLA Robin Austin stands up for Sacred Headwaters
Media Release
Apr 14, 2008VICTORIA— Coalbed methane extraction in the Sacred Headwaters would degrade water quality, kill fish, and offer very few long term jobs, Skeena MLA Robin Austin told the Legislature today. He took a rare opportunity to speak at length before the legislature to outline the concerns that individuals and organizations in the northwest part of the province have expressed to him about Shell’s activities in the area.
“The Skeena, the Nass and the Stikine are all born in the Sacred Headwaters, deep in the heart of Tahltan traditional territory,” said Austin. “All three are also threatened by plans to develop coalbed methane in one of the most crucial and intact ecosystems left in the world.”
Austin outlined the major concerns around coalbed methane development in the Klappan, or Sacred Headwaters area, including habitat fragmentation, degradation of water quality, and economic losses which would be caused by a downgrading of the tourism and sport-fishing industries.
“In return for a long-term sustainable industry that has the advantage of preserving the quality of our environment and our drinking water, we would get a poison-filled project that would destroy our environment, pollute our drinking water and employ very few people in the long term,” said Austin. “It isn't difficult to see why my constituents are furious that they were not consulted about this project before Shell began drilling test wells and why they are adamant that this project not proceed any further.”
Bulkley-Valley Stikine MLA, Liberal Dennis MacKay, responded by denying that declining water quality is a concern of note, saying “To say that we're going to see degradation and that we're going to see contamination of the water — that is bunk.”
The New Democrat MLA for Skeena disagreed, pointing to the evidence of other jurisdictions where coalbed methane has been commercially produced.
“Every jurisdiction that has allowed commercial scale exploitation of coalbed methane has experienced some level of water contamination from the development,” noted Austin. “The scale of contamination varies with each project and each location, but we simply don’t have the technology to extract coalbed methane without devastating environmental consequences.”
Coalbed methane has never been produced in a salmon bearing environment, but the controversial form of resource extraction has harmed other fish species in regions where it has been tried.
“I think it is wrong-headed of the member for Bulkley Valley-Stikine to suggest it is more important to mine gas than it is to protect a valuable and culturally important resource like wild salmon,” said Austin. “Especially when his constituents are prominent among those calling for a halt to Shell’s activities in the Sacred Headwaters.”
Recently, a company that was considering a coalbed methane development near Telkwa, in the Bulkley Valley-Stikine region, pulled out of the development after facing overwhelming opposition from residents of the area.
The Hansard blues containing the full length of Austin’s speech can be accessed here: http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/38th4th/H80414x.htm
“The Skeena, the Nass and the Stikine are all born in the Sacred Headwaters, deep in the heart of Tahltan traditional territory,” said Austin. “All three are also threatened by plans to develop coalbed methane in one of the most crucial and intact ecosystems left in the world.”
Austin outlined the major concerns around coalbed methane development in the Klappan, or Sacred Headwaters area, including habitat fragmentation, degradation of water quality, and economic losses which would be caused by a downgrading of the tourism and sport-fishing industries.
“In return for a long-term sustainable industry that has the advantage of preserving the quality of our environment and our drinking water, we would get a poison-filled project that would destroy our environment, pollute our drinking water and employ very few people in the long term,” said Austin. “It isn't difficult to see why my constituents are furious that they were not consulted about this project before Shell began drilling test wells and why they are adamant that this project not proceed any further.”
Bulkley-Valley Stikine MLA, Liberal Dennis MacKay, responded by denying that declining water quality is a concern of note, saying “To say that we're going to see degradation and that we're going to see contamination of the water — that is bunk.”
The New Democrat MLA for Skeena disagreed, pointing to the evidence of other jurisdictions where coalbed methane has been commercially produced.
“Every jurisdiction that has allowed commercial scale exploitation of coalbed methane has experienced some level of water contamination from the development,” noted Austin. “The scale of contamination varies with each project and each location, but we simply don’t have the technology to extract coalbed methane without devastating environmental consequences.”
Coalbed methane has never been produced in a salmon bearing environment, but the controversial form of resource extraction has harmed other fish species in regions where it has been tried.
“I think it is wrong-headed of the member for Bulkley Valley-Stikine to suggest it is more important to mine gas than it is to protect a valuable and culturally important resource like wild salmon,” said Austin. “Especially when his constituents are prominent among those calling for a halt to Shell’s activities in the Sacred Headwaters.”
Recently, a company that was considering a coalbed methane development near Telkwa, in the Bulkley Valley-Stikine region, pulled out of the development after facing overwhelming opposition from residents of the area.
The Hansard blues containing the full length of Austin’s speech can be accessed here: http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/38th4th/H80414x.htm
