Shale gas – update

by Pascale Giroux, Municipal officer  (December 2010)

I am sure that all citizens must have heard about Shale Gas! I would like to inform you that the Village municipal Council adopted two resolutions on this subject at the regular meeting of November 2, 2010. Here is a small summary of these two resolutions:

Forbidden access to drinking water infrastructure- shale gas
This resolution states that water is a precious resource and that it must be used sparingly. Citizens pay for the treatment of drinking water in the municipality and that these costs are high. Knowing that significant amounts of water may be required for drilling to extract the shale gas and that subsequently the water used in these operations becomes undrinkable. In addition, this industrial use is imposed on the municipality by the law on mines, other usages are prohibited in agricultural zone. It has been unanimously resolved that the municipality of the Village de Hemmingford accept no water removal from its territory, and that as to surface or underground water for drilling to extract shale gas.

This resolution states that citizens pay for the treatment of sewage in the municipality and our infrastructure is already operating near it’s maximum capacity. Knowing that significant amounts of wastewater will be disposed of and that there are no sufficient safeguards to ensure the actual contents of chemicals or heavy metals that can be part of the used drilling water. Considering that the sewer treatment plant was not designed for this purpose and that such use could create significant problems, both with the amount of water and the effects of possible contamination. It has been unanimously resolved that the municipality of the Village of Hemmingford won’t accept used drilling water in the municipal sewage and wastewater treatment system.

Forbidden access to waste water infrastructure – shale gas
Copies of these two resolutions have been transmitted to the Ministère des affaires municipales des régions et de l’occupation du territoire (MAMROT), to the Ministry of the Environment, to MNA constituency Huntingdon, Mr. Stéphane Billette as well to the municipality of the Township of Hemmingford.