Environmental groups worried about plans to drill for coalbed methane

Dan Maclennan
Courier-Islander (Campbell River)
Times-Colonist (Victoria)
Friday, July 06, 2007

Despite claims to the contrary by Hillsborough Resources, local environmental groups are concerned about the company's plans to drill for coalbed methane in the Campbell River area.

Hillsborough, owner of Quinsam Coal, and its partner Cornerstone Gas want to test drill for coalbed gas (CBG) in the area, including sites north of the Campbell River airport. But the company's claims of widespread consultation and positive feedback have been called into question. At least two local environmental groups are voicing serious concerns and the mayor was unaware of any such consultations.

A company release late last month said a 60-day 'engagement process' starting in early April had included a number of meetings with First Nations, municipalities, and environmental groups over an eleven-week period.

"Based on the positive feedback, the partners are now moving to apply for formal tenure and the necessary permits to allow drilling at the five pre-determined test sites," the release stated.

Last week, Hillsborough president David Slater said a tremendous number of meetings were held and the responses were "terrifically supportive," even from the likes of the Campbell River Environmental Committee (CREC).

"Yes," he told the Courier-Islander. "Maybe it's a function of expecting the worst and not getting the worst, but I think everyone has been terrifically supportive, from the feedback that I get from our people that have done this engagement work."

CREC's Stan Goodrich disagreed. He said the group hadn't yet met with the engagement team and CREC is not terrifically supportive.

"The Environmental Committee is not hunky-dory about it at all," he said. "We're very concerned about it. It's not accurate to say that we're happy about the prospect.

"We have concerns. Where's the water going to go? There's concern about all the streams in the area. That water has to go someplace and it raises real concerns. We've got a lot of small streams and they're prime salmon habitat."

Also voicing a distinct lack of support is the Sierra Club's Quadra Island chapter, whose members met with the engagement team Tuesday night.

"I would say we have a lot of concerns and there needs to be a lot more information out there," said Judy Leicester, the chapter's conservation chair. "A lot of people in Campbell River are going to have this in their backyard.

"Our list of concerns just goes on and on. We just kept asking questions and saying we have concerns."

"I would not say we had responses on a lot of things. I think like most groups we came away with more questions than answers.

"We did make it clear at the beginning of the meeting that we did not want our meeting with them to be construed as supporting.

"We didn't want to end up just as another group on their list of consultations because we had heard what Hillsborough was saying, that they'd received positive feedback from everybody.

"That wasn't the same feedback we were hearing from other organizations."

Coalbed gas is found with most coal deposits. It's kept in place by the pressure of the water in the coal seam. Developing the gas involves drilling multiple wells to remove the water to get at the gas. Huge volumes of 'produced water' often result, among the chief concerns of neighbors and environmentalists. The water may be high in salt content.

It may contain arsenic and other heavy metals. In other jurisdictions, coalbed gas extraction projects have killed streams, ruined farmland and water wells.

The provincial government's Energy Plan calls on coalbed gas companies to put the water back into the ground.

"But we couldn't get any answers what they're going to do with the water before they reinject it into the ground," Leicester said.

"There can be huge quantities of water. I don't think they really know."

She said the local geology may not be suitable for reinjection of produced water. The chapter also has other concerns, including emissions from the possible flaring of gas wells.

Slater said Campbell River City officials were also very supportive.

"I know the City would love to see a resource being developed on the Island that generates energy on the Island that is not having to come from the mainland," he said. "I'm not sure if people realize how energy-dependent the Island is on the mainland. Only 20 percent of the energy that's consumed on the Island is produced on the Island."

But just last week, Mayor Roger McDonell said he was unaware of any such consultations.

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