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In Princeton, Petrobank Resources is back in town after a three year hiatus to drill second and third wells (the first was in 2005). This has caused a resurgence of opposition. And this time, opposition is coming from local First Nations and from more politicians than the first time around. We note that the local area director, Gerri Logan, who was perceived as a friend of coalbed methane a few years ago, has responded to the community opposition - and has generated the headline "Logan opposes drilling".
This headline appeared in the Similkameen Spotlight, one of Princeton's two newspapers. Sometimes, a headline is almost as good as the real thing. The other paper, the Similkameen News Leader, carries the same statement from Logan with the bland headline "Logan Issues Statement." This is the third in a sequence of letters copied below, a dialogue between Logan and Princeton resident and Save Our Similkameen spokesperson, Brad Hope.
The second article is from Petrobank, which is delaying its drilling program, although it doesn't give clues as to how long that postponement might be.
And following that is a gaggle of letters from concerned citizens. Best line is from Mary Masiel who writes, 'To me it is a “no brainer” Protect our water. Say no to coal-bed methane gas exploration and drilling in our valley.'
The context for what's happening in Princeton is that coalbed methane exploration in British Columbia has not been well received anywhere. In some communities it has been flat-out rejected, the level of public concern has been great enough to cause proponents to back off.
There are however, three areas of BC which sit on huge coalfields, where there is serious industry interest - where public concern has not resulted in proponents walking away from the potential resource. At least, not yet. The Klappan in the northwest (9% of the estimated coalbed methane potential in the province, where Shell is the active player), the Crowsnest in the southeast (21%, Storm Cat Energy and BP), and in northeastern BC (68%, Hudsons Hope Gas is the leading developer.). These are the big prizes for government and the companies. The Hudsons Hope Gas project is the nearest to a production decision, and Storm Cat's play in the southeast is not far behind, but perhaps faltering on the requirement introduced this year that it not surface-dispose of produced water.
In Telkwa, a strong pushback by the community and the Wet'suwet'en First Nation has likely driven the government and its corporate proponent, Norwest Energy, to leave town, possibly for good.
On Vancouver Island, Hillsborough Resources and Cornerstone Gas are nosing around an exploration program north of the Campbell River airport (www.cbmvi.org). There may be emerging active interest in the Nanaimo Coalfield, and in the Comox Coalfield near Courtenay.
Logan opposes drillingGerri Logan
Similkameen Spotlight
Published: July 15, 2008 2:00 PM
Until PetroBank of Calgary is prepared to address the concerns of this community and the Similkameen Valley, I as the Director of Area H with the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen will be standing opposed to the drilling of two test wells in our area.
I will also be asking for a meeting with the Ministry of Energy and Mines and requesting that a complete baseline study of our aquifer be implemented before permission is granted for any proposed or further Coalbed Methane exploration.
I still do not stand convinced that test wells will poison or deplete our water supply as I am only receiving that information from one source.
But I am choosing to err on the side of caution, and I strongly feel that our Provincial Government must be accountable to the residents of the Similkameen Valley before they allow companies in to conduct activities that we feel may affect our quality of life.
Gerri Logan
Director Electoral Area H - Princeton Rural
Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen
P.O. Box 2045, Princeton, BC V0X 1WO
Res Phone: 250.295.7257
Res Fax: 250.295.7257
Cell: 250.295.2542
RDOS Toll Free 877.610.3737
Email:
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http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/similkameenspotlight/business/25474054.html
Petrobank defers drilling scheduleSubmitted by Petrobank
Similkameen News Leader
July 15, 2008
Petrobank is voluntarily deferring its proposed drilling schedule for coalbed gas (CBG) in the Princeton area.
The community has demonstrated an interest in CBG and questions remain about the continuation of the company's CBG evaluation program. Petrobank will use the extended time to respond to individuals directly and encourage interested community members to contact the company with their questions.
"To date, we have sought to be totally transparent with the community and we want to take the time to hear from individuals and answer their questions," says Gregg Smith, Vice President Canada, Petrobank.
"Contrary to rumours, this is totally our decision. No government body has requested we take this action."
The company will continue sharing information about CBG and the company's operational commitments.
Additionally, Petrobank will publish the questions asked of them through answers in advertisements in the local newspapers. Public meetings hosted by Petrobank will be delayed until a more firm drilling schedule and program is available for discussion.
Petrobank has been invited to present to the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen to provide a brief overview of its evolving plan to drill two wells (one north and one south of the Town of Princeton) as part of a study of the local CBG basin that began with a test well 4.5-kilometres southeast of Princeton in 2004.
The company has requested that the meeting include the involvement of all relevant parties including government, the regulator, third-party industry representation and environmental non-governmental organizations.
"Petrobank's proposed evaluation project is only one part of the story when it comes to CBG," says Smith.
"A good discussion means that everyone needs to be involved. If that can happen, we will be there to participate."
Petrobank maintains a dedicated toll-free call service (1-866-764-4571) and an exclusive e-mail address (
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
) for Princeton residents to ask questions about CBG and the company's role in the community. Petrobank also posts information about the project on it's website which is located online at: www.petrobank.com/princeton.
The BC Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) manages some of the strictest regulations in North America, which are designed to protect the community and the environment.
The OGC uses these regulations to carefully monitor industry activity for compliance and Petrobank is pleased to meet or exceed these regulations. On the web, the OGC can be found at www.ogc.gov.bc.ca and the province's Energy Plan, which includes CBG, can be found at www.energyplan.gov.bc.ca.
Further information about CBG can be found through the Canadian Society for Unconventional Gas at www.csug.ca. Petrobank operates under the British Columbia Coalbed Gas Code of Practice which can be found on the Ministry of Environment website through www.gov.bc.ca.
http://www.thenewsleader.ca/
Water for lifeAnn Hughes
Similkameen Spotlight
July 15, 2008
Dear Editor,
I am a relative newcomer to Princeton. In the 3 years I have lived here, I have taken part in a citizens movement to keep our air and environment clean by defeating a coal-fired energy project. I am a member of the Princeton Garden Club. I work in Princeton and I hope to retire here and live here the rest of my life. Now I am deeply involved in organizing and making sustainable the Princeton Healthy Harvest Box.
One of the reasons I love volunteering for the Princeton Healthy Harvest Box is that it contributes to Princeton being a healthier and more viable community. Thousands of volunteer hours have been poured into this project which brings local and organic produce to Princeton at cost on a monthly basis. I also actively support the John Allison School Garden, and hope to see more community gardening and more local commercial food production in Princeton in the future.
Clean air, clean water. They are the foundations of a healthy community. The price of freedom…isn’t that “constant vigilance”? I hear people around town speak about the threat Petrobank brings to our community. A coalbed gas project that would pump enormous amounts… into the hundreds of thousands of gallons, of water daily from our aquifer… not to water gardens or crops, not to water livestock or ensure the viability of fish stocks….but simply to allow the extraction of methane gas which will be pumped South of the border into Washington State.
I know that a few people are really knocking themselves out to save our water for ranching and agriculture and recreation and wildlife…for the future. They are only a few. Shame on you if you are not actively involved in opposing this development by Petrobank! If you lose your wonderful water, you will lose everything you value. Your property values will plummet, your quality of life will go to nothing, your health and the health of your families will suffer. If that happens to you, you have only yourselves to blame, because you were too busy doing something else, and you didn’t think it would impact you.
Where do you think the water comes from out of your tap when you brush your teeth in the morning? It comes from deep wells that are part of this regions’ aquifer. That is the same aquifer that Petrobank intends to tap for it’s lifeblood in order to extract their profit.
Wake up, people! This isn’t about farm folks out of town….if you lose the aquifer, you are on bottled water for life. And there is no one to blame but yourselves.
Please act now to make Princeton a Healthy Community!
Sincerely,
Ann Hughes
Coordinator (volunteer)
Princeton Healthy Harvest Box
Hope speaks to LoganBrad Hope
Similkameen Spotlight
July 8, 2008
Dear Editor:
Last week Regional Director Gerri Logan attended her first SOS meeting concerning Petrobank and their coalbed methane (CBM) drilling program slated for this area. Both of us reported on the meeting and spoke of our difference of opinion. It is far too simplistic to imply as she does, that our difference was simply that I wish her make a statement opposing CBM now, while she, as an elected official, feels she needs to hear both sides prior to making a formal statement. Our disparity I think, relates more to differing perceptions of the role and responsibility of the Regional Director to the residents of Area H and even to the town of Princeton.
I would assume that regardless of the personal interests of an elected official, it is their responsibility to become informed of major proposed changes to the community and to advise their constituency accordingly. What does it mean to say that "Brad (Hope) who is not an elected official has the ability to speak his mind…. I however, as an elected official have different rules of conduct that I follow"? If it means saying and doing nothing, then it falls on others, volunteers in the community, to fulfill that role and provide the necessary information. Indeed, it is the volunteers of SOS that have focused and forced this issue into the light and for you to then say that myths are being spread without saying what and from whom, seems disingenuous. Even your reporting of the attendance of the meeting downplays the community resistance that is building. Your public estimate of 40 to 45 could easily have been checked with the official sheet which showed 66 individuals present.
To date SOS has;
• Arranged a public debate with Petrobank, and other experts including a registered hydrologist. (Petrobank declined the opportunity to participate).
• Lobbied for and obtained a hold on drilling pending the participation of Petrobank in public debate.
• Brought West Coast Environmental Law to Princeton to speak with town council, Keremeos Mayor Despot and RDOS and as a result precipitated a formal meeting of RDOS with both West Coast and Petrobank on July 17th in Penticton
• Undertaken an extensive well testing program to establish a baseline and to protect landowners should wells fail or become compromised after drilling commences.
• Undertaken an extensive research and public information program.
Doing nothing simply supports the Petrobank agenda.
Case in point Dir. Logan: At the last meeting we learned that you were unaware that Petrobank was scheduled to begin drilling on July 8th of this year, saying, "I was unaware that it was happening so quickly, maybe I should come to more SOS meetings". Did you not realize that it was in fact, only through the efforts of SOS and many other concerned residents who contacted the Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) that a temporary hold had been placed on the commencement of drilling? (Even the OGC was not satisfied with the level of information provided by the company to the residents of this area). You must realize that after drilling begins it will become much more difficult to stop. Whether or not you are in favor of the Petrobank program I believe that you should support SOS, the Town Council and other elected officials in demanding that Petrobank publicly debate the CBM issue in Princeton. Surely your "rules of conduct" do not prevent you from becoming informed and providing the same opportunity to your constituents.
Brad Hope
Princeton
Protect our waterMary Masiel
Similkameen Spotlight
July 8, 2008
Editor,
There are a number of Princetonites “sitting on the fence” re: the coal-bed methane gas issue. The typical response from these people is, “I don’t know anything about this topic.”
I believe that everyone is responsible for his or her enlightenment. Most people have access to a computer and I would suggest to these people to “Google” the topic and become informed.
I encourage all people to attend informational meetings and most definitely attend the pending meeting with Petrobank at the end of the month. (An exact date has not yet been set, but I am sure the the notice will be carried in the newspaper.)
Those waiting for jobs and benefits will have a long wait. When I attended the Petrobank open house, I had a conversation with one of their representatives. The conversation went something like this:
Me: Tell me more about coal-bed methane gas.
Rep: Everything is safe. The well is encased in concrete, some water will be used for extraction and some water is produced in the process. In Alberta, the extracted water is piped into an area where it is injected into the ground (a holding well).
Me: So what do you propose to do with the water that is extracted from any drilling in Princeton? Is it feasible to pipe it to Alberta?
Rep: No, it would not be cost effective. We will make a request from the BC government that we be allowed to set up an area where the extracted water will be injected.
Me: What do these wells look like? (We walked to a poster that showed a capped well.)
Me: Is that it?
Rep: Oh, yes. It does not mar the landscape.
Me: What kind of jobs will be created for Princeton?
Rep: None, or maybe one or two.
Me: What about benefits?
Rep: None. but your provincial government stands to gain from our industry.
I didn’t ask this question, but the answer is obvious. Where will the gas go? It will go across the border to the US market.
What does Princeton stand to gain? It stands to gain a desecrated landscape and compromised water supply. Our aquifir will be jeopardized.
To me it is a “no brainer” Protect our water. Say no to coal-bed methane gas exploration and drilling in our valley.
Environmentally Yours,
Mary Masiel
More on waterJim Robinson
Similkameen Spotlight
July 8, 2008
Editor,
What’s in a name? Does the fact that Petrobank no longer refers to their product as Coalbed Methane, but instead calls it Coalbed Gas or Unconventional Gas its extraction any less harmful to the environment? No. I still sucks... all the clean water out of our aquifer!
When small towns face off against multinational giants, and water is the ultimate prize, tension is bound to run high. Landowner concerns about the safety and continuing supply of ground water are far from being resolved in any location in North America where coalbed methane, or coalbed gas has been commercially extracted. Call it anything you like, it’s the same unholy alliance between big business and greedy government. I won’t be sold down the river by politicians and I won’t be pushed around by big energy companies. It’s our water, and we can keep it if we work together.
Sincerely,
Jim Robinson,
Princeton, BC.
Allison on our waterSolana Allison
Similkameen Spotlight
July 8, 2008
Dear Editor:
“Tested all nearby water wells to establish baseline quality.”
This statement is from Petrobanks website.
It would appear to be a straight forward statement.
If it was true.
Unfortunately this statement, like many others that have been given by this company are not true.
How do I know this? I asked the people who live there.
On May 30th 2008 I drafted a letter to RDOS asking that funds be allocated for water testing prior to the commencement of Petrobanks drilling operations.
On June 11 2008 a letter was drafted to me from RDOS which stated :
“It is recognized that residents in the surrounding test area are concerned about the impact on the watershed.
Petrobank has offered independant water testing, at no cost to residents, to demonstrate that drilling will not impact their water wells or the watershed.
I encourage residents to request Petrobank undertake water testing of their well.
At this Time I am unable to to support your request for financial assistance.”
The truth is:
Pertobank claims they have tested all nearby water wells.
Our RDOS rep claims that Petrobank has offered to test wells.
But the truth is, the only well testing has been done by SOS in conjunction with very concerned area H residents that have privately raised the funds to get the testing completed, as the request for funding assistance from RDOS was denied.
As my dear old mom used to say, If it looks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it sure as hell ain’t a cow.
Cheers,
Solana Allison,
Princeton, BC
Dear Residents of Area H and Town of PrincetonGerri Logan
Similkameen News Leader
July 1, 2008
I just got off the phone with Brad Hope who is a member of Save Our Similkameen (SOS) and we had an enlightening and constructive conversation.
Both Brad and I have very different opinions of how I should be handling the Petrobank coalbed methane issue and that is fine. I do, however, believe that at the end of the day we share the same concerns about coalbed methane. Brad, who is not an elected official, has the ability to speak his mind loud and clear whenever he wants. I, however, as an elected official have different rules and conduct that I follow as I represent over 2,600 people in Area H.
I attended the most recent SOS meeting and I counted some 40 to 45 people. I hear them. I understand their concerns and their passion about this issue. I told the group that my personal opinion is that I would much rather Petrobank was not coming to our Valley but I was holding my formal opinion until Petrobank returned to this community and held a public forum.
Petrobank and West Coast Environmental Law are both being asked to appear as a delegation at the July 17th RDOS board meeting. The Regional Board, as well, is not prepared to make a formal statement until they have heard from both sides, Petrobank and West Coast.
This is where Brad Hope, and the Town of Princeton and I part company. The Town has made their formal statements as they feel that they have heard from their constituents. I however, have not reached that point yet. That is why when Petrobank comes to town you need to attend the meeting. You must attend whether you are for or against. I need to fulfill my obligations to Rural Princeton so when I voice my official opinion I will be able to back it up by saying that my community spoke and I listened.
I will stand by my decision to stay true to my timeline. Brad Hope has promised he is still going to hold my feet to the fire until I do and that is fine.
What truly does matter to me is that when the dust settles we are all standing on the same side of the street. "Give no decision till both sides thou'st heard" - Phocylides
Gerri Logan
Area H Director
Water is the lifeblood of the Similkameen ValleyDan Pippin
Similkameen News Leader
July 1, 2008
Baseball great Yogi Berra was fond of saying "It's deja vu all over again." A year and a half ago we were dealing with Compliance Energy and their plan to foul our air with a coal burning power plant. Now Petrobank Energy wants to drill for methane gas in Princeton. This time, it's our water that is at risk. Each well would take 20,000 to 40,000 gallons of water out of our aquifer every day. At full production, there would be hundreds of wells in the valley.
Princeton would become another energy colony of the US. The gas would be shipped south while the profits would flow east to Alberta, leaving us holding the bag.
In other parts of North America, wells have gone dry or become so contaminated with heavy metals that they are poisonous to plants and animals. We could soon be buying our water by the truckload from the same corporations that rendered it unusable.
What can we do? Get educated. The internet has many sites that have facts about coalbed methane. Attend the public meeting to be held toward the end of July. Make sure your elected officials know that you want an independent evaluation of Petrobank's plans to make sure that our water supply wouldn't be depleted or damaged.
Water is the lifeblood of the Similkameen Valley. We need it for human consumption, irrigation, and industry. Ranches would go out of business without access to large quantities of water. The same is true of industries like Weyerhaeuser.
Local government, the RDOS, and local Indian Bands need to speak as one voice. That voice needs to say, "You can not drill in our valley unless and until you can prove to our satisfaction that we will not suffer any adverse effects."
Dan Pippin
Princeton |
