November 30, 2011 News Release 

VICTORIA – B.C.’s New
Democrats are calling for new and stronger actions from the B.C. Liberals to
ensure long-term sustainability and environmental quality, greater public
accountability, and best practices in the natural gas industry as the practice
of hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) grows. 

“The approval from the National Energy Board in
October for an export licence is a major and positive step for the Kitimat LNG
project, but with it comes the very serious responsibility to properly manage
all resources,” said New Democrat energy critic John Horgan. 

“The projected growth of fracking means we must
strengthen public accountability and ensure that water resources and other
environmental values are not ignored. It is time for the Liberals to act,” said
Horgan. 

New Democrat environment critic Rob Fleming stressed
the importance of strong environmental protections and ensuring the oil and gas
sector adheres to industry best practices. 

“There are a number of important environmental
considerations with the extraction of B.C.’s natural gas resources. The most
immediate concern surrounds the many challenges associated with water use in
fracking. The actions we are proposing will make immediate improvements and
allow for expert recommendations for longer term issues,” said Fleming, adding
that the cumulative impacts of oil and gas operations must be examined as part
of the review process.

Horgan and Fleming introduced the B.C. New Democrats’
proposals to ensure the industry moves forward in a sustainable way:

1)   
Appoint
an expert panel to conduct a broad public review of fracking, including public
hearings and consultations with First Nations, local communities, industry,
environmental groups and citizens.

2)   
Make
immediate changes to protect B.C.’s water resources, including consolidating
authority for water licencing within one public body; improving water mapping,
monitoring and public reporting; and ending the current practice of issuing
free water permits through the Oil and Gas Commission.

3)   
Extend
funding for the Farmers’ Advocate office to ensure landowners in the natural
gas fields have the support they need to deal with the gas industry.

4)   
Examine
the province’s Climate Action Plan in order to take into account proposed expansions
in gas development, which will bring more upstream greenhouse gas emissions.

“Premier Christy Clark has hitched her so-called jobs
plan to pushing forward with massive expansions of a number of resource
extraction activities, but hasn’t begun to address the real concerns people
have about the impact on their communities and the natural environment in
B.C.,” said Fleming.

“If the Liberals want long-term, sustainable economic
growth and real jobs for B.C. families, they must take responsible actions to
satisfy a number of serious concerns including the effect of industrial
expansion on greenhouse gas emissions, the interests of communities, industry
and First Nations, and the long term costs to our province,” said Horgan.

Adrian Dix and B.C.’s New Democrats are committed to a
plan that ensures long-term sustainability and environmental quality in B.C.’s
expanding natural gas fields.

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BACKGROUNDER

NDP’S PROPOSED
ACTIONS TO ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN B.C.’S NATURAL
GAS FIELDS

New Democrats
are calling for new and stronger actions from the B.C. Liberals to ensure
long-term sustainability and environmental quality, greater public
accountability, and best practices in British Columbia’s natural gas fields,
especially in relation to “fracking.”

Specific
proposals for next steps:

1)   Appoint an expert panel
to conduct a broad public review of fracking, including public hearings and
consultations with First Nations, local communities, industry, environmental
groups and citizens, to examine:

·        
the
challenges and issues associated with water use, water use allocation, and the
disposal of contaminated fracking fluids , including recycled and re-used
water;

·        
the
best practices within the industry and the appropriate standards for fracking
operations and technologies, such as the re-use of water, the integrity of well
casings, and the disposal and treatment of chemical fluids
and contaminated water;

·        
the
cumulative impacts of oil and gas operations and the implications of the
industry's expansion on regional land and water use plans and on the revisions
to the Water Act being developed.

2)  
Implement immediate changes to protect B.C.’s water resources:

·        
Move
the authority for water allocations for oil and gas operations to the Ministry
of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO), with input from the
Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) to ensure comprehensive policy and decision
making;

·        
Require
all major water users to be permitted and  expand and improve water
mapping, water monitoring, access to public information regarding water
allocation and overall water management  capacities;
·        
Ensure
all major users are paying reasonable and appropriate rates for water use, and
ensure that the required improvements in water management are allocated a
sufficient portion of water use permit revenues.  End the current
practice of the OGC issuing free ‘temporary’ permits to fracking operations, in
contrast to the fees charged to many other industrial users by the MFLNRO.

3)    Extend funding for the Farmers’
Advocate office in order to ensure that landowners in the natural gas fields
have the support they need in dealing with the gas industry.
Currently,
funding from the Ministry of Energy and Mines (costs are shared with the Peace
River Regional District) is in place until the spring of 2012. 

4)   
Examine
B.C.’s Climate Action Plan to take into account proposed expansions in gas
development, which will result in more greenhouse gas emissions.

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