Consult this
Thinkstock.com/Yukon News
An oil pump in Alberta.
con sult
v. 1. have deliberations; seek information or advice from
2. take into consideration
That’s according to the Oxford Dictionary, our word bible and general guiding light.
The oft-used verb is being put to the test as the Yukon government ponders oil and gas development in the Whitehorse Trough.
The 60-day public consultation period for 12 parcels of land between Carcross and Carmacks just wrapped up.
Plenty of Yukoners put in their two cents’ worth.
Just how many, the government isn’t exactly sure, but a quick scan through public meeting notes and rafts of written comments produces few supporters of forging full-steam ahead with exploration.
Letters from oil and gas opponents have also poured into the newspapers and more than 1,500 people signed an anti-oil-and-gas petition.
Concerns vary from fear of fracking to fear of the Yukon becoming the next Alberta.
Only the government knows who has put in the land request and it’s not telling. That simply fuels more fear.
Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Brad Cathers says the government was as surprised as everyone else when the 12 requests landed in its lap in mid-January.
It’s been scrambling to get ahead of the wave of opposition ever since.
It’s separated deep fracking from shallow fracking. It’s played the need-for-local-energy card. And it’s pitched the all-impact-can-be-mitigated approach to development.
All to no apparent avail.
It just takes a sobering comment from a 25-year industry veteran, who says oil and gas companies routinely ignore licence conditions and other regulations, to cast doubt.
Or the realization the end product could be exported, or that the promoters are also the regulators.
But that’s consultation.
The government asks; the public answers.
And, at least in theory, the government then rejigs things accordingly.
But letting people have their say is one thing.
Listening to what they say seems to be quite another and the track record isn’t great.
With these oil and gas land requests, it’ll be a few more weeks before Cathers receives a report on the consultation from his officials.
Then it’ll be up to him whether to accept or reject, some or all, of the parcels.
This is a great opportunity for the government to restore public confidence in the consultation process.
Will it take it or let it pass by?
The message seems pretty clear - breathe deep, step back and then proceed with caution, if at all.
Oil and gas development in southern Yukon may not be a bad idea - in some areas, if done properly - but this request is too much, too soon.
Yukoners want and need to know a whole lot more about this industry before this goes any farther.
5 Comments
A_yukon_heart..
I’m sorry fella, I’m with Larry on this one. The wife and I laughed till we cried over your comment “You can’t even drive down the highway in Alberta anymore without fear of stopping somewhere that poison gas might be lurking.”
Farmers, falling over on their tractors, hehehe…
You really should go back down and check the province out a little better. I lived all over that province and it’s beautiful. yes there are rigs going up in certain places and other areas are scattered with “Pumpjacks”, like in the picture, but they sure do look purdy in the sunset - and make a whack of cash, not only for the province but also the land owners who lease the right of way.
After living litteraly on top of “Hells Half Acre” in Turner Valley - I can promise you that people are not suddenly dying off from H2S.
In fact, more people die from H2S out in the middle of nowhere - when it just seeps from the ground naturally than all the industry related occurances put together.
As a final point - yes - it is all about the money. Unfortunately that’s the world we live in. Talk about money - go down to main street and see where you can have a pee without spending money - or upsetting a business owner (who doesn’t want to pay MONEY to have staff clean up after non-patrons).
To Larry - you’re correct - about Banff and Jasper. It is duly noted. That accounts for the one of the few pockets of undeveloped areas in Alberta. My lat trip through Alberta ended as soon as I was out of Jasper. The rest of the province was a blur. As for the economic powerhouse that you speak of - no doubt about it. You just confirmed my statement about it being all about the money. When the money dries up, and it most definitely will, what then will Alberta be left with but toxic sludge?
Alberta is a destination to avoid? Excuse me
You may have heard of a couple of national parks called Banff and Jasper where there is no oil and gas development.Oil and Gas has made Alberta the strongest economic force in the country. Remember that when the Yukon Territory gets its next federal transfer payment. Where do you think that comes from?
Alberta used to be a destination. Now it is a destination to avoid, unless you want to make money. That’s the crux of the whole issue - it’s all about money, and if Alberta is any indication, it’s money at the expense of the environment, people’s welfare, farmers, wildlife, sanity…need I say more? You can’t even drive down the highway in Alberta anymore without fear of stopping somewhere that poison gas might be lurking. I say, the end does not justify the means. Start to invest in other technologies. We will have to do it sooner or later. It might as well be before we destroy the Yukon as well as Alberta.
How many of the opposesed against this exploration have a job? Me thinks that this sentament is “I got mine f—k off”.
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