WHEREAS the water flowing through riverside communities is inextricably linked to the economic, social and environmental well-being of those communities; AND WHEREAS communities in the same watershed share the benefits of healthy water resources and of the migratory species, such as salmon, that depend on clean water; AND WHEREAS the impact of development activities such as coalbed methane extraction, can have significant effects on far flung communities sharing a watershed: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government be requested to coordinate a community meeting process for all local governments in a watershed potentially affected by coal-bed methane development where a balance of government agencies, industry, community groups and environmental organizations make presentations so residents have the variety of viewpoints they need to make a knowledgeable decision about such development.
Ministry of Energy, Mines Petroleum Resources In direct response to public concerns about water protection, the BC government through The BC Energy Plan: A Vision of Clean Energy Leadership, has announced increased expectations for companies engaging in coalbed gas CBG activities. No discharge of produced water to the surface will be allowed and any re-injected produced water must be injected well below any domestic water aquifer. In addition, proponents seeking to develop CBG in British Columbia must implement the following practices: - Fully engage local communities and First Nations in all stages of development; - Use the most advanced technology and practices that are commercially viable to minimize land and aesthetic disturbances; - Meet any other conditions the Oil and Gas Commission, which regulates oil and gas in British Columbia, may apply; - Demonstrate the companys previous experience with CBG development; and - Make information publicly available on how the company plans to meet and be accountable for these best practices. The Code of Practice for the Discharge of Produced Water from Coalbed Gas Operations, administered by the Oil and Gas Commission OGC, will be amended to be consistent with these best practices. CBG exploration in BC is at the early stage and, as of yet, there has been no commercial production. CBG is a significant resource in BC and can provide some of the natural gas we need to heat our homes, cook our food and for other energy uses. CBG development can also provide important benefits including provincial revenue to support key programs such as health care and education, as well as jobs in communities. Since 2002, the Ministry has had an active program to provide information to communities and First Nations on CBG development. The Ministry is committed to substantial community engagement on BC energy, mineral and petroleum resources and their potential there will be more discussions in the future. The Ministry initiated the Environmental Resource Information Project ERIP in late 2003 to improve knowledge and availability of environmental baseline data in coalfields with CBG potential. ERIP is available to the public on the Ministrys website. MEMPR is engaging community members, First Nations and industry in the ongoing review and delivery of this project. With regard to specific regulations to protect drinking water, oil and gas related activities in BC are regulated by the OGC. The OGC requires surface casing to be set below the base of all areas that serve as a source of drinking water; surface casing must be set at least 25 metres into a formation. Steel or plastic casings line portions of the hole, and the spaces between the casing and the bedrock are cemented to prevent the exchange of fluids. Hydraulic fracturing fluids in shallow CBG formations must be non-toxic. The OGC further requires companies to carry out water well testing within a 1 km radius of a CBG well. Samples are taken before and after drilling to ensure that drilling did not affect groundwater wells. Should water quality be affected during the drilling phase or at any time during operation, the operator is required to re-establish the water supply to the affected resident.