WOW RIGHT WING PRO DEVELOPMENT, ANTI-ENVIRONMENT RHETORIC

Last Saturday's Waterloo Region Record had an article titled "Fracking can rescue Canada's poorest provinces". This article was written by two gentlemen representing the Fraser Institute a "right-of-centre" think tank. Their thesis is that hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas has minimal risks and maximum gain for Canadians.

For supposedly smart people their arguments are weak. Advising us that "The liquid used in fracking is around 99 percent water and sand, with a smattering of common chemicals" is disingenuous. Yes solvents are "common". Up here in Elmira, Agent Orange is both common and highly toxic. Benzene is "common" and it is carcinogenic as are other "common" solvents. Secondly the 99 percent figure is interesting. Most drinking water standards for "common" solvents are not mentioned as percentiles or 1 part per hundred. They are measured in parts per billion (ppb) or parts per trillion (PPT). Fracking liquids can and do contaminate groundwater well above drinking standards.

We are also advised that risks of seismic activity ie. earthquakes is very low. Exactly how many excess earthquakes causing damage to other peoples' property does the drilling industry deem acceptable? The authors state that "Impacts from casing leakage, well blowouts, and spills of contaminated fluids are more prevalent but have generally been quickly mitigated.". Generally mitigated is an interesting concept. Again how many unmitigated areas of groundwater exist because of fracking? Who pays for the new water sources for affected residents? There have been huge groundwater problems in the U.S. including tap water that can actually be lit with a match.

Sorry but I'm not buying into this mad rush for development of energy resources FIRST and then think about mitigation after the fact. Perhaps for a change the powers that be in this country could stop putting the cart before the horse.