July 2011
Le Gaz de la Discorde by Nicolas Mesly, Cover Story in Le Coopérateur agricole, July August 2011 Issue
Les analyses de son eau ont en effet révélé une quantité effarante de méthane. Cinq ans plus tard, M. Zimmerman n’a toujours pas d’eau potable….Et il attend encore le début de son procès contre la compagnie responsable du forage, Quicksilver Resources Canada.
June 2011
Hydraulic fracturing would destroy Nova Scotia by Bill Power, The Chronicle Herald, June 26, 2011
Energy Minister Charlie Parker said the review will focus on the science and management of the environmental impact of the fracking technique.…Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau said the review has been widened to include a review of fracking in all oil and gas operations, public disclosure of additives used in the process, and possible submission of engineered fracturing designs.
WATCH: Dangers of Natural Gas Extraction Alberta Prime Time interview with Jessica Ernst followed by a panel discussion, June 15, 2011
WATCH: Alberta woman files lawsuit over flaming water by The Canadian Press in the Globe and Mail, June 12, 2011
There’s something off about the well water on one Alberta woman’s property. When Jessica Ernst drops a lit match into it, there’s a loud poof and a flash of a blue flame – her well is contaminated with methane gas.
May 2011
Fracking, methane and drinking water by Dianne Saxe, Envirolaw, MAY 17, 2011.
The Ernst v. Encana fracking lawsuit gained strength this month with the publication of Rob Jackson’s peer-reviewed paper: Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
Alberta shuns U.S. shale gas drilling fears; Minister says our rules prevent water contamination by Darcy Henton, Calgary Herald, May 14, 2011
A fracking problem by Jean Hodgkinson, The Caribean Camera, May 11, 2011
LISTEN: Methane Water Study CBC, “As it Happens“, May 10, 2011
Last month, we spoke with Jessica Ernst from Rosebud, Alberta. Ms. Ernst has several fracking sites near her home. And she’s now suing EnCana, because of what she alleges are high methane levels in her drinking water. She says the levels are so high she can light the water on fire. This week, researchers at Duke University published a study suggesting a link between shale gas drilling and high levels of methane in drinking water. Robert Jackson is an author of the study. We reached him in Durham, North Carolina.
National Geographic Methane on Tap: Study Links Pollution to Gas Drilling by Rachel Kaufman, National Geographic News May 9, 2011
Fracking the Future: Uncloaks Big Oil’s Takeover of Gas Industry by Carol Linnitt, DesmogBlog, May 6, 2011
Canadian Woman Sues over Flammable Tap Water by Helena Zhu in Epoch Times, May 5, 2011
Canada: Fracking, Drinking Water And Regulation by Dianne Saxe, Mondaq, May 4, 2011
Rosebud resident files suit over coal bed methane by Pat Kolafa, The Dumheller Mail, May 4, 2011
Alberta Woman Sues Over Flammable Tap Water China National News, May 4, 2011
Rosebud landowner sues over alleged well contamination by Enrique Massot, The Cochrane Eagle May 3, 2011
Woman seeks $33 Million in Canadian Fracking Lawsuit, 1800LAWFIRM.com, May 3, 2011
Woman seeks $33 Million in Canadian Fracking Lawsuit by Joshua at YourLawyer.com / Blog, May 2nd, 2011
WATCH: Allegations of an Alberta Cover-up Alberta Prime Time Interview with Jessica Ernst at ABC Studio in New York on Monday, May 02, 2011
Canadian Scientist Files Fracking Lawsuit Against EnCana Breakinglawsuitnews, May 2nd, 2011
Woman suing Encana to speak at UN conference by Sayeh Tavangar, Platts Energy Week, May 2, 2011
‘Fracking’ starts to bring on legal challenges by Jeff Gray and Nathan Vanderklippe, The Globe and Mail, May 2, 2011
Woman Seeks $33 Million in Canadian Fracking Lawsuit Newsinferno: News that matters! May 2, 2011
Is hydraulic fracturing safe and sustainable? Presentation by Jessica Ernst on May 3, 2011 in New York City at the United Nations 19th Commission on Sustainable Development
Fracking the world: Hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’ – Big Oil’s newest way to extract natural gas from an exhausted planet – comes with a terrible environmental price tag by Joyce Nelson in the UK’s New Internationalist Magazine Issue #442, May 1, 2011.
Warning: drink at your peril! Tap water drawn from aquifers that have been contaminated by fracking is so full of toxic chemicals that it can be set alight
WATCH: Flammable well water 1:52, CBC News, May 1, 2011
An Alberta woman who says her well water is steeped with methane gas from nearby natural gas drilling is set to appear before the United Nations to tell her story, the CBC’s Bryan Labby reports.
April 2011
Fracturation hydraulique : procès en vue pour Encana by Gaz de Schiste Provence, Avril 29, 2011
Alberta landowner seeks $33 million over methane in drinking water Environmental Services Association of Alberta weekly news, for the week ending April 29, 2011
Albertan, Tired of Her Tap Water Catching Fire, Sues. Scientist Jessica Ernst hits gas giant EnCana, regulators with fracking lawsuit by Andrew Nikiforuk, TheTyee.ca, April 28, 2011
Fracturation hydraulique : une Albertaine poursuit sa province et EnCana Radio-Canada.ca Mise à jour le jeudi 28 avril 2011. AUDIO-VIDÉO Le reportage d’Isabelle Damphousse
LISTEN: Alberta Fracking CBC “As It Happens”, April 27, 2011
It’s known as “fracking” — the process of using water and other chemicals under extreme pressure to blast apart coal formations and release natural gas. And one woman in Southern Alberta says that in using that process, the natural gas producer Encana has flooded her drinking water with so much methane that she can set her tap water on fire. Jessica Ernst announced today that she’s suing Encana, the Alberta Government and the provincial energy regulator for thirty-three million dollars. We reached Jessica Ernst in Calgary.
Rosebud landowner launches $33M lawsuit against Encana, government over methane in drinking water by Kelly Cryderman, Calgary Herald, April 27, 2011
Alberta Landowner Seeks $33 Million Over Methane in Drinking Water, The Stuart Smith Blog, News Round Up, April 27, 2011
Lawsuit has broad implications for fracking across continent, lawyer says by Kelly Cryderman, Postmedia News, April 27, 2011
Rosebud woman launches drilling lawsuit, CBC News, April 27, 2011
Gas drilling critic launches multimillion-dollar suit by Kelly Cryderman, Calgary Herald, April 27, 2011
Hot Water Tap by Jeff Douglas, The As It Happens Blog, April 27, 2011
Alberta landowner seeks $33 million over methane in drinking water by Kelly Cryderman, Postmedia News April 26, 2011
2010
Testimony on hydraulic fracturing to The Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources Issue 16, Evidence presented in Ottawa, December 9, 2010. Mr. Eric Marsh (Executive Vice President, Natural Gas Economy, Encana Corporation):
When you drill a well, surface casing made of steel is cemented to protect the fresh water.…Three strings of steel casing are all cemented across the freshwater aquifers, which are typically at the very surface, the top 500 feet. The probability of ever impacting the groundwater is virtually zero.
Testimony on hydraulic fracturing and public disclosure of all chemicals used in the process to The Standing Committee on Natural Resources, Number 033, 3rd Session, 40th Parliament, Evidence presented in Ottawa, November 23, 2010
MP Nathan Cullen: Mr. Dunn, to bring you back to another conversation, we had one of your competitors up earlier committing publicly to disclose the chemicals used in the fracturing process. Is that something Encana is doing right now or is willing to do in the future?
Mr. Richard Dunn (Vice-President, Canadian Division, Regulatory and Government Relations, Encana Corporation): Yes, we’re doing it now.
MP Nathan Cullen: You’re doing it right now. Again, just to be clear, because this committee has to write a report and recommendations to government to change the regulations to require companies—all of your competitors and Encana—to release information on all of the chemicals used in the fracturing process, I assume you would have no problem with that because it encourages greater public confidence in your operations?
Mr. Richard Dunn: Yes, absolutely, I agree with your comments on increasing public confidence and full disclosure.
Testimony that hydraulic fracturing interfered with Rosebud groundwater to The Standing Committee on Natural Resources, Number 032, 3rd Session, 40th Parliament, Evidence presented in Ottawa, November 18, 2010
Mr. Michael Binnion (President and Chief Executive Officer, Questerre Energy Corporation): In Alberta, regulations were put in place after an incident in Rosebud, Alberta. It was believed that some shallow fracs in coal bed methane had interfered with groundwater. Since then there have been limitations on how shallow you can carry out fracs in that jurisdiction.
Hydraulic fracturing and water pollution: Investor risks from North America’s shale gas boom by Paula Barrios, Research Analyst for Shareholder Association for Research and Education, May 2010
Fracking – Natural Gas Affects Water Quality by Joyce Nelson, originally published in Watershed Sentinel, March/April 2010
Hydro-fracturing has a lucrative dirty secret. The B.C. government isn’t asking many questions about a natural-gas-drilling technique involving toxic compounds by Chris Wood, Straight.com Vancouver’s Online Source, January 28, 2010
2009
Frack Attack. New, dirty gas drilling method threatens drinking water by Joyce Nelson, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, December 1, 2009.
Culture of Secrecy by Darcy Henton, Avenue Magazine Edmonton, May 26, 2009.
Ed Stelmach promised transparency when he came to office, but somewhere along the way, the wheels fell off the accountability track. “I am exhausted trying to get what is supposed to be public data,” she says.
Alberta Environment/Energy Resources Conservation Board Response to the Report “Potential for Gas Migration Due to Coalbed Methane Development”
The report concludes that gas migration due to natural pathways is unlikely to occur for the areas of active or anticipated CBM development…It also highlights the potential higher risk for gas migration where there are very shallow coals….
Alberta Gas: Battle over wells wages in pristine valley CTV W5, February 7, 2009.
2008
Alberta Environment Standard for Baseline Water Well Testing for CBM Operations, Science Review Panel Final Report prepared for Alberta Environment by Dr. Cathy Ryan, University of Calgary. December 5, 2008. Panel: Alex Blyth, Bernard Mayer, Carl Mendoza, Karlis Muehlenbachs.
As of December 2007, the Baseline Water Well Testing (BWWT) Program database included 4349 entries from water wells located predominantly between Calgary and Edmonton. This region is already heavily drilled for conventional oil and gas wells. The region also has some CBM wells that were completed before the initiation of the BWWT Program on May 1, 2006. Considering this pre-existing resource extraction activity, BWWT samples are not necessarily ‘true baseline’, or pristine, samples of un-impacted groundwater. In reality the BWWT samples may represent groundwater that has been impacted by previous petroleum exploration and development activities, early CBM activities, and/or other anthropogenic impacts….When sampling monitoring wells for gas concentrations, total dissolved gas pressures should be measured during monitoring. Total dissolved gas pressure is directly related to in situ as concentration. Preliminary data from the Rosebud, Alberta area suggest groundwater gas concentrations are being underestimated by a factor of three when TDGP is not measured (Roy et al., 2008).
Citizen EnCana The double life of Calgary’s greatest corporation by Adrian Morrow, published in Fast Forward, July 10, 2008.
Citizen EnCana Slide Show
EnCana denies doing any water well contamination by Rick Northrop, originally published in The Drumheller Valley Times, Vol. 9, No. 50, April 22, 2008.
“We can’t do completion of shallow gas above 200 metres” the paper quoted EnCana saying.
Freedom of information: Little information and it isn’t free, either, Government accused of stonewalling legitimate requests by Darcy Henton, The Edmonton Journal, February 29, 2008.
2007
Watson and Bachu – Factors Affecting or Indicating Potential Wellbore Leakage by Theresa Watson (T.L. Watson and Associates Inc.) and Stephan Bachu (Alberta Energy and Utilities Board), 2007 Presentation; SPE Paper 106817, 200
STUPID TO THE LAST DROP How Alberta is Bringing Environmental Armageddon to Canada (and Doesn’t Seem to Care) by William Marsden, winner of the 2007 National Business Book.
It’s not just Alberta, it’s the whole country by Andrew Nikiforuk, published in the Globe and Mail, Saturday, October 6, 2007. Book Review of STUPID TO THE LAST DROP How Alberta is Bringing Environmental Armageddon to Canada (and Doesn’t Seem to Care) by William Marsden.
En Alberta, l’eau S’enflamme! by Nicolas Mesly, LaCooperator, September 2007, earned honourable mention at the National Magazine Awards and best feature article at the Kenneth R. Wilson Awards.
English translation
Activist ‘banished’ by the EUB by the Edmonton Journal, July 29, 2007.
Banishment denied; EUB spokesman Bob Curran said Ernst was never “banished.” ”From the many unanswered concerns and questions about risks to public health and safety, it is obvious that I remain banished,” she told The Journal. “Also there is evidence indicating petroleum industry pollution in my water well. Where is the EUB?”
Testimony on water contamination and non-disclosure of chemicals used in shallow hydraulic fracturing of coalbed methane wells in Alberta to The Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Number 056, 1st Session, 39th Parliament in Ottawa, May 8, 2007.
Mr. David Pryce, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers: “in terms of the technical requirements around the completion of the wells, is illustrated in the slide that shows the cement and the steel casing that is put in place. It is intended to separate the producing zones from those upper shallow water aquifer zones. So there is engineering applied to this. There is a regulatory environment that requires us to adhere to those practices to ensure that we do provide that measure of protection….We test the wells in proximity to the coal-bed methane wells we drill, to confirm the condition of that water prior to drilling those wells, to understand whether or not methane is present. If it is present, the presumption is that it’s naturally occurring, and then following up with that, if there’s any change in that water well after the fact, we know we’ve got something to look at.”
Burning Water by Tadzio Richards, Maisonneuve Magazine, March 17, 2007, earned a gold (investigative reporting) and silver (science, technology and the environment) at the National Magazine Awards.
Report of the Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy to the Ministry of Environment, Province of Alberta by Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy, February 2007.
This review of Alberta groundwater programs declared Alberta’s groundwater policies “inadequate” and reported a “lack of comprehensive monitoring systems.” The report adds that “exploitation of Alberta’s energy resources is proceeding at a pace much faster than had been anticipated” but that there had been no parallel acceleration in the protection of water resources. A monitoring network “is the last line of defense against contamination by industries that are essential to the economic future of the province.”
2006
Top ten newsmakers of 2006, Calgary Herald, December 31, 2006. A tidal wave of political change swept across the Alberta landscape in 2006, bringing forward a number of dynamic public figures among the Herald’s top 10 newsmakers.
Moratorium on coalbed-methane drilling needed to cool frenzy by David Eggen, originally published in the Edmonton Journal, December 22, 2006.
Coal bed concerns catch industry’s ear by Tony Seskus, originally published in the Calgary Herald, November 16, 2006.
A History of CBM by Renata D’Aliesio, originally Published in the Calgary Herald, November 15, 2006.
What lies beneath by Tony Seskus and Renata D’Aliesio, originally published on the front page of the Calgary Herald, November 15, 2006. Front page photo by Tim Fraser.
First of a four-part special report, the Herald’s Tony Seskus and Renata D’Aliesio look at the debate over coal bed methane.
Trouble in the Fields: Is our water safe? Cover article by Jeremy Klazsus, photographs by Colin Smith, originally published in Alberta Views October 2006. Vol 9, No. 8.
Jeremy Klaszus won the Alexander Ross Award for Best New Writer for his investigative journalism in, Big Oil on Trial (June 2006) and Trouble in the Fields (October 2006) in Alberta Views.
FireWater by Andrew Nikiforuk in Canadian Business Magazine August 14, 2006
Burning Waters: UVic Partner’s environmental record questioned by Andrew McLeod, originally published in Monday Magazine, June 21, 1006.
CBM checks, balances in place by Shawne Mohl, originally published in the Innisfail Province, March 21, 2006.
“The EUB is a very strict regulator, Curran says….All the rules that are in place for shallow gas drilling in Alberta, which we have a tremendous amount, all hold true for CBM drilling as well.”
CBM concerns ignited by Shawne Mohl, originally published in the Innisfail Province, March 14, 2006.
“It’s really hard to believe that you are being poisoned by your own water”.
Water better be OK, Ralph Vows to Intervene on Coalbed Methane Complaints, by Darcy Henton, Legislature Bureau, originally published in The Edmonton Sun, March 1 2006.
Fears about coalbed methane by Ric Swihart, originally published in the Lethbridge Herald, January 21, 2006.
Johnson said the big concern when discussing coalbed methane is the lack of baseline data so the full impact of the exploration and development can be measured.
2005
Tainted water lights fire under gas fears by Hanneke Brooymans, photographs by Chris Schwartz, Originally published on the front page of The Edmonton Journal, December 13, 2005.
Southern Alberta woman suspects her polluted well may be linked to growing coal bed methane industry.
CPAWS won’t wait for government to develop coalbed methane regulations by Graeme McElheran, originally published in the Yukon News, December 2, 2005.
Life Inside a Science Project by Andrew Nikiforuk, originally published by The Globe and Mail Report on Business, April 29, 2005.
2004
Rosebud Residents Search for Common Ground by Patrick Kalafa, originally published by The Drumheller Mail, December 8, 2004.
Shallow Operations Issues by Jim Reid, Manager Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, May 12, 2004.
“Shallow operations can be ‘high risk’”
2003
Groundwater Quality Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. Winnipeg, Manitoba. Linking Water Science to Policy Workshop Series. Report No.2, 52 pages. Crowe, A.S., K.A. Schaefer, A. Kohut, S.G. Shikaze, C.J. Ptacek. 2003.
The report concluded that unconventional natural gas drilling such as coalbed methane (CBM) poses a real threat to groundwater quality and quantity, and that the nation needs “baseline hydrogeological investigations in coalbed methane…to be able to recognize and track groundwater contaminants.”