Drilling ban should be made permanent

First Nations and environmental groups opposed to coalbed methane gas exploration in the Sacred Headwaters of northern British Columbia are demanding that the existing moratorium on drilling in the region be extended indefinitely.

“Four years ago, the B.C. government listened to northwestern communities and pushed pause on drilling in the Sacred Headwaters. Now it’s up to Premier [Christy] Clark to follow that path to its logical conclusion,” said Shannon McPhail, executive director of the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition.

“A permanent ban would indicate to local communities, First Nations and the rest of British Columbia that the government is committed to establishing a truly responsible industry,” she added.

But a spokesperson for the Minister of Energy and Mines, says that “no extension has been made at this time and the terms of the original agreement remain in place.”

“The recent extension of the period of inactivity in the Klappan recognized more time was required to formulate an understanding of how, if any, natural gas development will occur in the area. Discussions are ongoing with First Nations and Shell on this matter,” the spokesperson added.

In 2008, prompted by strong regional opposition to a gas extraction program, the province placed a four-year moratorium on Shell Canada’s plan to drill in an area known as the Klappan Basin.

The Klappan or ‘The Sacred Headwaters’ as it is known to the First Nations of the area, is located in the remote region of northwest British Columbia about 600 kilometers north of Terrace. The area is in the heart of pristine wilderness and home to herds of land animals as well as many species of salmon. It is the birthplace of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine rivers, all home to a majority of the BC salmon stocks.

But the moratorium is set to expire in 2012 and environmental groups say that unless the province extends the ban indefinitely, there is a risk of irreparable damage to the area.

“What happens in the Sacred Headwaters will determine the image of natural gas development in B.C.,” said Karen Tam Wu, senior conservation campaigner with Forest Ethics.

The Sacred Headwaters has made the BC Outdoor Recreation Council’s ‘Top 12 Endangered Rivers List” two years in a row.

Environmental groups have formed a campaign against Shell and the BC government to protect the area and 60,000 people have signed a petition opposing its plans.
Brian Huntington, associate director of the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, says an indefinite moratorium against drilling in the Sacred Headwaters would not only protect the environment, it would also preserve First Nations culture.

He said saving the Headwaters is about protecting “ the integrity of the habitat, and with that comes protection of the culture.”

Threats to annual fish stocks are enormous, he said, explaining, “Wild salmon cross culture boundaries and unite people.”

“This is currently an intact, unfragmented ecosystem,” Huntington says of the Klappan.

“It’s all functioning naturally.”

If the drilling gets the green light Huntington predicts the environmental turmoil caused by the creation of wells, access roads and pipelines would be monumental.

“It’s an enormous amount of disturbance,” he explained. “And when you have such a large disturbance across the landscape it changes the way the water flows,” he said, referring to the effects development would have on the future of BC wild salmon stocks.

“Our organization’s intent in this campaign is to empower people and bring communities in the northwest together to create a sustainable future for the wild salmon stock,” he explained.

“The Tahltan people want to protect that landscape,” Huntington added. “Our work is driven to support their wishes,” he said.

Marie Quock, chief of the Iskut band, the Tahltan community closest to the proposed exploration, is backing environmental groups and says an indefinite moratorium must be placed on the Sacred Headwaters.
“It’s the area where we have all our cultural activities happen,” Quock said, adding that the area is also home to many Tahltan seasonal cultural camps.

Sustaining the wild salmon stocks is a top priority for the First Nation and talks among the Tahltan leadership are ongoing as they continue “working together for a plan to stop this.”

The Tahltan First Nation has had an active role in opposing the issue of coal-bed methane drilling on their land.

In 2004 Shell Canada received the provincial land tenure to explore for coalbed methane in the Klappan Basin. The province granted the tenure after Shell signed a memorandum of understanding with the leaders of the Tahltan First Nation. But strong community opposition to the drilling resulted in a change in leadership and the Tahltan began protesting and blockading roads shortly after. The blockade saw Tahltan community members arrested. Many of those were Elders.

But while groups opposed to drilling lobby together, Shell Canada spokesperson, Stephen Doolan said the company has no current plans to pursue exploratory drilling in the Sacred Headwaters.

“Shell is not conducting any exploration activities in the Klappan,” he said. “Shell and the government of British Columbia agreed to a period of inactivity until 2012. Currently Shell is focused on working with the BC government to engage with stakeholders during this pause in activity and we have made no decisions regarding the path forward when the period of inactivity concludes,” said Doolan.

“Shell will continue to engage with the government, First Nation communities and other stakeholders to develop solutions to address concerns that have been raised,” he added.

But First Nations and environmental groups say the only solution to saving the Sacred Headwaters is no drilling at all.

“Our goal is that by the end of the moratorium a means of permanent protection is in place,” said Huntington.
The Sacred Headwaters is an unacceptable place for industrial activity,” he stressed.

“What we need to do is support our government to protect the Sacred Headwaters from industrial pursuits and invest in the wild salmon economy,” he said.