XPost: bc.politics, ont.politics, can.politics   
   XPost: ab.politics   
   From: ConsRCons@govt.cda   
      
   On 2/26/2014 4:00 PM, Alan Baker wrote:   
   > What you quote usually bears little relationship to the odd conclusions   
   > you (presumably) draw from it.   
   >   
   > Witness your bizarre claim that oil sands mining requires "fracking"...   
      
      
   Bloody idiot.  You get more stupid every time you try a hand at posting,   
   'Baker'.      (>_<)   
   _________________   
      
      
   The Canadian Press Posted: 02/04/2014   
      
   Alberta Fracking An Unregulated Free-For-All, Licence Data Shows: NDP   
      
      
   EDMONTON - Alberta New Democrats say newly released documents show   
   fracking has become an unregulated free-for-all in the province with no   
   regard for the impact on groundwater or on people's health.   
      
   NDP Leader Brian Mason presented information Tuesday provided under   
   freedom-of-information laws that shows the number of hydraulic   
   fracturing licences granted by the province soared 647 per cent last   
   year to 1,516.   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
      
   Mason said the amount of water allocated and used for fracking has   
   increased even faster.   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
      
   "Most Albertans don't realize that fracking in Alberta is almost   
   completely unregulated," he told a legislature news conference.   
      
   "And it is increasing on a dramatic scale without any understanding of   
   what the potential consequences will be."   
      
   He said the water loss alone is sobering, with more than 17 million   
   cubic metres used in 2013.   
      
   "This is an enormous amount of groundwater. It's pumped into the ground,   
   it's polluted by chemicals and it's never seen again."   
      
   Fracking blasts pressurized water and chemicals into underlying rocks to   
   release trapped natural gas and oil.   
      
   It has changed the game on North American resource extraction in the   
   last decade — fuelling an oil and gas boom in North Dakota and   
   delivering a 15 per cent overall production increase south of the   
   border, according to Alberta government data.   
      
   It has also resulted in a backlash from environmentalists and from   
   homeowners who live near fracking sites. Their main concern is polluted   
   groundwater and aquifers.   
      
   In Lethbridge, homeowners and city council are fighting an application   
   by Calgary-based Goldenkey Oil to drill three wells using vertical   
   hydraulic fracturing within city limits and within one kilometre of   
   where people live.   
      
   The legislature members for Lethbridge — Progressive Conservatives   
   Bridget Pastoor and Greg Weadick — have told residents they are making   
   sure concerns are heard. Mason said they two need to go farther and   
   actively fight the development.   
      
   "They're mealy-mouthed hedging on the whole question."   
      
   Fracking has brought with it controversy in other provinces.   
   Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Quebec are re-evaluating its   
   benefits versus the consequences of environmental damage.   
      
   Mason said it's too late for a moratorium on fracking in Alberta.   
      
   "The horse is kind of out of the barn. It's a mainstream activity now."   
      
   He suggested Premier Alison Redford's government should undertake an   
   independent scientific review of hydraulic fracturing and use   
   independent groundwater monitoring before further projects get approved.   
      
   Environment Minister Robin Campbell disagreed with Mason. He said in a   
   news release that "Alberta has strict regulations that apply to all oil   
   and gas development regardless of the technology being used."   
      
   Campbell also said concerns of environmental damage have not been borne out.   
      
   "To date, there has not been a documented case of hydraulic fracturing   
   fluids contaminating a domestic water well in Alberta. For anybody to   
   claim that the water supply is at risk is completely false," said Campbell.   
      
   "All water licence applications are carefully reviewed to ensure no   
   significant impacts to our environment or other water users."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)