Two kilometres- nothing less
Local municipalities fight for clean water
Solidarity is the word of order for over 230 municipalities across Quebec. Communities, including many from the Townships, are banding together today by presenting a bylaw to the government to give local mayors the authority to limit fracking near sources of drinking water in their jurisdiction.
The municipalities of Ayer’s Cliff, Hatley, Stanstead, as well as many others, have all agreed to either support or implement a new bylaw decreeing that gas and oil companies are not to be allowed to drill any closer than two kilometres away from a drinking water source. The Water Withdrawal and Protection Regulation (RPEP), implemented in 2014, has placed the current limit at a mere 500 metres.
The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, and Action against Climate Change (MDDELCC) put in place a committee of over 40 people, including Lisette Maillé, the mayor of Austin, a small a municipality on the western shore of Lake Memphrémagog. The committees’ goal, said Maillé, is to convince the government to give municipalities the power to decide what the limit should be for themselves.
Under article 124 of the Environment Quality Act (RLRQ, c. Q-2), municipalities would be allowed to edict stricter norms than those set out in the RPEP. However, it is Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change David Heurtel who has discretionary power over the issue. In order to give municipalities the authority to handle the fracking problem as they see fit, the committee must first convince Heurtel.
The mayor of Austin has been following the politics of fracking since 2009. According to her, the 500-meter boundary was decided by the RPEP without first consulting the municipalities. Since then she, along with the committee, has been devoted to convincing them to adopt the bylaw.
In March 2013, the municipality of Ristigouche Sudest created their own bylaw that forbade fracking companies from drilling for oil or gas beyond a two-kilometre radius from fresh drinking water. In retaliation, the company that was going to drill, Gastern, sued the small town for 1.5 million dollars. The mayor of Ristigouche, François Boulay, qualified the action as “malicious prosecution”.
Maillé seems to agree. “It’s really a way to squish the little guy. They don’t even have that kind of money in their tax allowances. The government refused to help them.”
Maillé explained that the Ristigouche situation was sort of a catalyst for the committee.
“We need to show solidarity. We have to stick together.” She said. “Though the Eastern Townships aren’t under claim by fracking companies much anymore, this is about supporting municipalities. We have to protect our drinking water. Some areas already have problems finding clean sources. We should hold to the principal of precaution.”
Alec van Zuiden, the mayor of Ayer’s Cliff, who has agreed to support the MDDELCC committee bylaw plan, said that the plan made sense.
“The government is always talking about centralizing the power. This is our lake, let us decide. We know our region. Anything that puts the power to the locals is a sound decision to me.”
The committee has prepared a long and well researched proposal to present to Heurtel today. Many scientific studies which denounce the dangers of having fracking operations as close to drinking water as the RPEP regulation of 500 meters.
“We’ve done our homework” said the media relations consultant for the committee, Olivier Lapierre. “We want the minister to act now. You would be astonished the number of companies who have been given permission to explore and drill without the towns necessarily knowing about it. It’s not just in Anticosti.”
In regards to Townshippers, Maillé said if they are concerned, they should speak up, as the committee needs all the help and support they can get. The mayor added that there will be a revision of the RPEP in August.
“Go to town hall. Ask your leaders to change the limit to two kilometers. Encourage your mayors to adopt the bylaw. Write letters. Write to your MP, write to the government of Canada, even write to the committee.” Maillé urged.