The Northeast of BC is a large area of mountains, rolling hills and wooded valleys, dotted with farm and ranch land. There are many large rivers and streams as well as crystal clear lakes. It is home to a multitude of species of wildlife. Unfortunately, there are also untapped reserves of oil and natural gas.
For the last few years exploration for this wealth has been in full gear, to the extent that drilling companies are like a lot of crazies in the gold strike eras of years long past. It appears they will stop at nothing to drill a well anywhere they have the smallest evidence ofnatural gas – even in a person's front yard if necessary! A great many of these wells are being drilled in critical areas of human and wildlife habitat.
Landowners here must contend with seismic crews, drilling crews and pipeline crews and the twenty-four hour a day noise from the screaming of the drills, the heavy equipment and the coming and going of all manner of traffic. Most people are opposed to the drilling of these sour (H2S) gas wells and laying of the pipelines in such close proximity to residences. They do not like the risks involved in the event of an emergency and during routine well and pipeline operations. As well as risks to human life there is the disturbing and displacing of the many species of our sensitive wildlife.
There is the instance of a widowed, eighty year old lady who is just recovering from a stroke. She was notified that a gas well is to be drilled just a few metres from the front of her home – right in the centre of the view from her living room window. Understandably, she is so upset and afraid that it is gravely affecting her health. The company is adamant concerning the drill site and, to make matters worse, if it turns out to be a producing well, it will be flared. Flaring produces some two hundred toxins, some of them carcinogenic, which will be spewed into the air. In several instances, residents living close to these flares are moving away from their homes as they can no longer cope with the odours and the health problems they are having. The health problems are many and varied, but the most common are headache, nausea and respiratory. One company at least has passed out information cautioning against pregnant women living near one of these flared wells.
The impact on the environment and wildlife is becoming more and more devastating. Wildlife of all species are displaced and sometimes destroyed, as in the example of bear dens being destroyed by heavy equipment building seismic roads and/or drill sites. Several species of wildlife have been brought in for care and rehabilitation that were displaced or injured in the process of oil and gas exploration.
There are so many problems involved with this industry. The Pine River oil pipeline break in August, 2000, which poisoned the Pine River is a good example. Also, the blow-out of the sour gas well near Ft. Nelson last year and the explosion of the natural gas plant in Taylor. These are only a few examples of the dangers we face every day.
Our private land is being invaded, our water (wells, streams, river and lakes), soil and air are being contaminated and as in the case of the South Dawson Creek, some of our waterways no longer run. The greed for money with no thought for the land or its inhabitants is what we face here.
* G. Leona Green, Dawson Creek BC
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[From WS August/November 2001]