Two keen fraccing men presented themselves at Environment Southland on Wednesday, to smooth any anxiety councillors might have over fraccing, especially those brought on by reading opinions other than those from industry representatives. The didn't like the Gaslands DVD that's circulating in the public domain and went to great lengths to belittle that production and the people who were startled by what they saw in it.
Our intrepid Times reporters were there and Alex Fensome published this report today.
Environment Southland has been told to ignore negative and misleading media coverage about fracking.
Chris McKeown, the commercial general manager of L&M Energy, and John Bay, from the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand, met the council on Wednesday to discuss the process.
Fracking involves injecting a high-pressure mix of water and chemicals into a well drilled through a rock seam to break apart rock formations and release gas or oil trapped there.
It could be used in Western Southland to access potentially huge reserves of shale gas in the Waiau Basin.
The two men told councillors they were there to counter distortions and untruths about fracking in the media, although they were happy with The Southland Times's coverage of the issue.
The specific targets of their ire were the documentary Gasland, by Josh Fox, which claimed to expose environmental damage caused by fracking in the United States, and a feature article published in The Press in July, councillors were told.
Mr Bay told the council it should link up with the Taranaki Regional Council, which had experience with fracking, and ignore the claims made in the film or other media.
Councillor Robert Guyton said after the meeting he believed Mr Bay and Mr McKeown were there to sell the industry agenda and allay fears.
"I thought they were quite dismissive of opinions which might be held by the general public," he said.
"They were (also) very dismissive of Gasland ... but did go through point by point through the various issues brought up. At the same time I was aware these were industry heads talking."
Gasland includes footage of tapwater being set on fire at homes close to wells in Pennsylvania.
The industry had always maintained that was because of a poorly constructed water well allowing naturally-occurring gas to leak up it.
Environmentalists have also alleged fracking contaminates aquifers with toxic chemicals from chemicals in fracking fluid.
While there had been problems in the United States, New Zealand had much stricter mining regulation, Mr Bay said.
Most of the fracking fluid injected into the well would be caught during the gas extraction process, he said. Claims fracking caused earthquakes, repeated in the media, were ludicrous.
"The forces in an earthquake are many magnitudes greater than any pump on the surface can generate."
"They were quite willing to answer questions," Mr Guyton said.
"It was good they were down here and it's interesting they pinpointed (the council)."
Council chair Ali Timms said the talk was interesting because the council did not know much about the process.
Liaising with Taranaki was a good idea, she said.
"It makes a lot of sense. There's no point re-inventing the wheel ... they will have expertise which will be of value to us."
- The Southland Times
12 comments:
What other sources do Envrionment Southland use for information on this issue? Do they have a researcher investigating this? Sure the fracking men are going to diss gaslands (I'm sure there is a pre prepared industry pr package they can access for that) but one would hope that much wider investigation is done by regional councils.
A government that wasn't so hell bent on wringing every last hydrocarbon out of the ground might have used and/or set up some objective, independant science & research body to check out these issues.
I see someone has commented on the Southland times page likening the fracking men to the tobacco industry pushing smoking. Aren't these guys just jumped up encyclopedia salesmen- shouldn't someone from Environment Southland have kept the door closed & said- no thanks, go away.
Too late, Viv - they were already in! We are very polite and welcoming and honour-bound to hear all sides of any argument. This morning, we have Jan Wright, Paliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, adressing us on lignite mining and climate change (1080 too). Her presentation was very powerful and the councillors (regional, district and city) got a really powerful message from her. There will be repercussions from her visit!
As to Environment Southland's 'sources', we have staff and councillors actively researching this fraccing issue. All information gratefully received.
Are you allowed to share Jan Wright's powerful message, Rg?
Allowed, Fred :-)
Nothing that I know of to stop me. I'll write it up now.
Watched a most disturbing doco on Ch 7 (where else?) on fracking in the US...poor bugger demonstrated with his tap-water and a match to create an impressive fire-ball.
Never drink tap water around a naked flame, Suz!
Anyone else fed up with corporate crap?
If Gasland is so full of it then how did Josh manage to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming!
The public have every right to hear ALL information on this topic and make up their minds for themselves PRIOR to anything going ahead with any sort of "fracking" - problem is the sheeple never realise the true extent of these sorts of things untill it is all too late!!!
Maybe this is a thing the dairy industry could jump on - fracking will effect them hugely, water is already a valuable and massively scarce resource that is at its limits in terms of use, any tainted water supply = tainted livestock/dairy
as much as i HATE the dairy ind but...
It would seem appropriate to recommend that the councillors see Gaslands for themselves, Cheyne, wouldn't it. I'll suggest it. I don't have a copy but someone may be able to help.
Your 'save the dairy industry from fraccing' has merit Cheyne - nothing wrong with playing one off against the other :-)
Hey the fracking guy DO have a pre-prepared PR package to use against gaslands. Check out the straterra.co.nz website.
WARNING- do not do so while eating because you will be in grave danger of choking when you read some of the stuff there.
Great post, nice to know there are people out there on councils, etc that have a healthy scepticism on the fracking front. Most of our elected representatives seem to be falling over themselves to welcome frackers with open arms.
Councillors should have a healthy scepticism about all activities that involve intrusive methods, extraction and otherwise non-renewable resource mining. They are fundamentally unsustainable, being finite.
If councillors aren't aware of that, or have forgotten or been convinced otherwise, it is the duty of members of the public, and other councillors, to make them aware.
Eh, maisiep
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