Despite an explicit promise in June this year, the provincial government failed to consult with the public before approving a significant water license to withdraw water via a pipeline from the Williston Reservoir, which feeds the WAC Bennett and Peace Canyon Dams, said Independent MLA Bob Simpson.
In the final days of the legislative session, Independent MLAs Vicki Huntington and Bob Simpson questioned the government about two pipeline proposals to withdraw water from the Williston Reservoir for use in hydraulic fracturing operations near Hudson’s Hope. In Question Period Rich Coleman, Minister for Energy and Mines, publicly stated there would be “extensive public consultation and discussion” and there would be “negotiations with First Nations” before these water pipelines would be approved.
“Despite the Minister’s promise, the Oil & Gas Commission approved the pipelines without consulting the public and before the water licenses were even approved,” said MLA Simpson. “Then this week a water license was approved for Talisman Energy without any notification to the public, let alone holding ‘extensive’ consultations and discussions.”
The second water license (for Canbriam Energy) is expected to be approved by week’s end, meaning that over 7.3 million liters of water may be withdrawn each year from the Williston Reservoir without public input or the promised negotiations with First Nations.
“This water is a public resource that has economic, social and ecological values beyond using it for the controversial ‘fracking’ process,” said Simpson. “The government had an obligation to fulfill the Minister’s promise to conduct “extensive” consultation before allowing this significant amount of water to be mixed with unknown toxins and then permanently removed from the Earth’s water cycle.”
Simpson is calling on the Minister of Environment to put a halt to new water permits and licenses in the area until baseline data is collected and the public and First Nations are extensively consulted. Simpson also suggested it is time for BC to consider putting a price on water for use in fracking operations in order to motivate the industry to reduce its demand on BC’s fresh water ecosystems.
This spring both Simpson and Huntington called on the Premier to convene a Special Legislative Committee to examine the development of BC’s unconventional gas resources and, in particular, the massive amounts of fresh water being used for hydraulic fracturing.