Kent South NO SHALE GAS Kent Sud

Kent South NO SHALE GAS Kent Sud

What You Need to Know

Health:   Of the known 632 chemicals used in “fracking” fluid, 353 chemicals can be harmful to your health:  75% could affect skin, eyes, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems;  40-50% could affect the brain and nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems and the kidneys;  37% could affect the endocrine system;  25% are carcinogens and mutagens. The New Brunswick College of Family Physicians have called for a moratorium on “fracking” due to insufficient base line data or information currently available to develop a public health policy.  “Fracking” companies often require a non-disclosure agreement be signed by property owners to receive injury remediation and by doctors to receive information to treat patients.   

Property Values: 24-75% reduction in home value as well as mortgage and insurance unavailability has resulted in areas where the “fracking” industry exists.  Such reductions can potentially devastate homeowners and even prevent the sale of their properties.  The province, LSDs, towns and villages depend upon local property taxes to provide basic services.  Is your property under a current shale gas lease?  You can find out if your property is under lease by going to  http://geonb.snb.ca/ong/  

Jobs: The promise of jobs has been shown to be overstated.  The high skill / higher pay “fracking” jobs are typically contracted to specialized drilling service corporations.  Local citizens are only offered the lower pay/ lower skill, boom/bust service and support related jobs.

Transportation:  Increased road traffic - 1000 to 5000 truck trips to “frack” one well - in addition to road traffic required for drill pad construction and site restoration.  Royalty agreements have not covered the cost of roadway and bridge damage in other areas where “fracking” has occurred. 

Water & Land:  Private and public water supplies can be permanently damaged by shale gas development.  1 to 5 million gallons of water combined with over 632 chemicals are used to “frack” one well.  Added potential contaminates include lead, arsenic, heavy metals, radon, and radioactive materials from drill cuttings and blowback water. Documented pollution and contamination occurs at the surface from failed well casings, drilling processes, industrial and traffic mishaps.  Long term disposal and containment will be required for billions of gallons of toxic “frack” waste waters and millions of cubic yards of contaminated “fracking” waste materials.

Industrial Scale:  1.4 million hectares (1/7 of province) under current leases on some of the most populated, agriculturally productive and forested land within province.  Potential of 5405 well pads on a 640-acre grid at one well per 40-acre or 86,480 wells total.  Each well pad could have 4-16 “frack” wells.  Under the current Shale Gas Development Rules and Regulation developed by the NB Government, well pads can be located 250 meters (820 feet or 4 hockey rinks) from your home or water well.

Noise & Light Pollution: 24/7 high level noise and light pollution is generated during “fracking” operations (typically up to four months in duration per well).  Additional light and noise pollution is generated from road traffic, well pad construction and site restoration.

Legal: NB Government does not have a reliable track record in support of citizens in disputes, e.g. Penobsquis residents now have to pay for water they once received from their private wells; they were not provided with legal protection by the province.  Individuals and families do not have the resources for legal action to address grievances and injuries from large corporations.

Moral: Counter to First Nations spiritual beliefs, aboriginal and treaty rights.   Counter to Judeo-Christian teachings on social justice and environmental stewardship.  Counter to known scientific knowledge of the effects of the continued use of fossil fuels on the global climate and the environment.