RIVER JOHN - Barbara Harris said her heart sank yesterday when she heard a provincial government announcement.
The River John resident was hoping the government wouldn't proceed with exploration of onshore oil and gas in three blocks from Pictou to Cumberland counties.
The announcement gives St. Brendan's Exploration Ltd. the exploration rights for the blocks, known as Malagash in Colchester and Cumberland counties, Truemanville in Cumberland County and Scotsburn in Pictou and Colchester counties.
"I really believe (fracking) will do severe, irreversible harm to the environment, our water supply, the health of the people and the landscape of our province," she said.
Although the last line of the provincial announcement says the lease agreements to St. Brendan's Exploration "have nothing to do with hydraulic fracturing", Harris finds that odd.
"It's like saying, ‘this acorn has nothing to do with an oak tree'," she said.
The investment team on St. Brendan's website is from Triana Energy, a major player of shale gas drilling and fracking in the United States.
"The only way that shale gas can be profitably extracted is by using hydraulic fracturing," Harris added.
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, uses water, sand and proprietary chemicals injected under high pressure into a well. The pressure fractures the shale, propping open fissures, allowing natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.
In Tatamagouche, Yuill Herbert has the same idea as Harris.
"It just doesn't make any sense," said Herbert. "They're wanting to extract natural gas in ways that jeopardizes the safety of people, could contaminate water supplies and is potentially more polluting than coal."
A board of directors member for the Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Development since 2004, Yuill has ‘ban fracking' painted on two sheets of plywood in front of Waldegrave Farms. It's been there for the past seven months, since the review process began.
He said he wasn't surprised to hear of the announcement on Tuesday.
"We knew (the government) had issued a request for proposals so we were expecting it at some point," he said.
"But the minister did have the opportunity not to accept any of the bids. I'm disappointed he did."
By accepting the bids and awarding the lease agreements, Herbert said the commitment will make it harder to stop any fracking if it comes to that point.
And hearing the announcement say the agreements weren't related to hydraulic fracturing, Yuill said it's a lie.
"No company would make a proposal for exploration rights if it had nothing to do with hydraulic fracturing," he said, also adding natural gas can't be extracted without fracking.
"I'm disappointed the government would communicate it that way."
With the lease agreements, St. Brendan's is the only company able to propose exploration in the areas, which covers about 335,500 hectares, excluding protected and coastal areas.
The agreements also do not allow the company to proceed with any work without specific approval. Applications for work need to be made before proceeding to review by multiple departments, including the Department of Environment, landowner approval and public presentations.
Having bought her house in River John less than a year ago, Harris said it was before anything was said about fracking in the area.
"I moved here (from Springhill) because it's so beautiful and peaceful," she said. "Fracking would lower homeowner's property values. I don't think the municipalities understand that."
Harris also has voiced her opinion on the subject through a sign on her lawn, albeit somewhat smaller than Herbert's.
rtetanish@trurodaily.com
About hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking)
- A means of extracting natural gas in deep well drilling.
- Uses millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals injected into the well.
- The high pressure used fractures the shale where the natural gas resides.
- The fracture prop open fissures that allow the natural gas to flow more freely.
