Niagara Regional Councillors Urged To Support Resolution On Great Lakes Water Protection

A Foreword by Doug Draper

 This fall Niagara-on-the-Lake’s town council passed a resolution asking senior levels of government in Canada and the United States to agree to a moratorium on any discharge to the Great Lakes of wastewater associated with the hydraulic drilling for natural gas until the potential impact on water bodies like the Niagara River and Lake Ontario are reviewed.

Niagara-on-the-Lake town councillor Jamie King

 The town council’s resolution followed in the wake of reports that petro-chemical companies in the U.S. are exploring the possibility of shipping chemically-contaminated water from the drilling or “fracking” process to the Niagara Falls, New York wastewater treatment plant for treatment and discharge to the Niagara River.

 Since last October, four other local municipalities in Niagara, Ontario –  St. Catharines, Wainfleet, Thorold and Fort Erie – have supported the resolution tabled by Niagara-on-the-Lake town councillor Jamie King. But much to King’s disappointed, Niagara’s regional council has so far only considered accepting the resolution as an item of information.

 Like a growing number of individuals and groups on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border, including environmental groups, King is concerned that not enough is known about the risks that discharging this effluent will post to the quality of Great Lakes waters. In the United States, the companies drilling for natural gas in underground layers of shale are not required by law to reveal what chemicals they are using in the process. That could make it difficult or impossible for environmental agencies in the U.S. and Canada to test for these chemicals in Great Lakes waters and track their possible spread to the flesh of fish and other wildlife or to water municipalities are drawing from the lakes for drinking and other purposes.

 This February 1, King emailed an open letter to members of regional council, asking them to support the Niagara-on-the-Lake resolution. Niagara At Large is posting the contents of that letter below.

 An Open Letter to Niagara, Ontario Regional Councillors From Niagara-on-the-Lake Councillor Jamie King.

I was listening to Tim Denis’ (CKTB) radio show this morning and was pleased to hear him share information with regards to the dangers of hydrofracking to our environment.

 Since Niagara-in-the-Lake passed a resolution on Halloween evening calling for a moratorium on hydrofracking and the processing of wastewater from hydrofracking in the Great Lakes Basin, we have been pleased to see notices of support from a number of other Niagara municipalities including St. Catharines, Thorold, Wainfleet and Fort Erie.

 I understand that the Region has recommended accepting the NOTL hydrofracking resolution as an information item, and that this is what may have actually happened with our resolution.  I respectfully ask Regional Councillors to reconsider your position, and consider supporting our resolution on this important issue.

 I understand that a report was received from the NPCA suggesting fracking will not likely occur here.  Respectfully to the NPCA and Regional Council, this isn’t the point.  The point is that fracking is and will be occurring throughout the Marcellus Shale formations surrounding our lower Great Lakes.  This fracking will produce wastewater.  This wastewater will be treated (perhaps even in Niagara Falls NY), and introduced into our watershed.  The impacts of these treated effluents (even according to the NPCA Report) are “unknown.”  The toxic composition of hydrofracking processes are proprietary in many cases, however there is general concern surrounding carcinogens, bioinhibitors AND naturally occurring radioactive elements which can be introduced to our water systems.

 Niagara-on-the-Lake residents irrigate crops from the Niagara River.  All Niagara residents enjoy the river as a recreational resource.  We owe it to our children to apply the lessons of Love Canal, Hooker and SCA Chemicals and take a stronger stance on this issue.

 We have nothing to lose by making it clear that we are not comfortable with an emerging and dirty environmental technology impacting our very own Niagara River.

 We are not asking for a ban.  We are asking for a moratorium so that an informed decision on how to move forward can be made between binational partners.  This is a responsible position to take.

 Niagara-on-the-Lake residents are fearful for the safety of our waterway.  Will the Region support our concerns?

 Jamie King, Councillor, Niagara-on-the-Lake

 (We welcome you to share your views on this post below. Remember that we only post comments by people willing to share their real first and last names.)