• About
  • Join the Co-op / Donate
  • Contact
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
The Brief
NB MEDIA CO-OP
Share a story
  • Articles en français
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Culture
  • Videos
  • NB debrief
  • Articles en français
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Gender
  • Politics
  • Culture
  • Videos
  • NB debrief
No Result
View All Result
NB MEDIA CO-OP
No Result
View All Result
Home Environment

Shale gas rocks the Nashwaak Valley

by Stephanie Merrill
June 17, 2011
Reading Time: 3min read
Shale gas rocks the Nashwaak Valley

People line up to speak to government and company officials at a meeting on shale gas in Taymouth on June 15, 2011. Photo: Stephanie Merrill.

About 200 people filled the Taymouth Community Centre on Wednesday evening, June 15, for their opportunity to ask questions and make statements to a panel of invited guests, including representatives from the government departments of Natural Resources, Environment, Health and the Executive Office as well as Southwestern Energy (SWN) — the oil and gas company with the rights to search for oil and gas throughout the Nashwaak Valley.

Concerned citizens from Taymouth, Penniac, Durham Bridge, Stanley, Tay Creek, and even Boiestown, Doaktown, and Chipman came together, forfeiting Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The building was overflowing and extra seats had to be set up in the kitchen and an upstairs room was wired with speakers.

taymouth 6-15-11 0097-1
The audience grills government and company officials at a meeting on shale gas in Taymouth on June 15, 2011. Photo: Stephanie Merrill.

One by one, residents approached the microphone bringing forward scientific evidence, personal accounts from elsewhere and asked how government and industry were going to guarantee that environmental destruction and human health impacts would not happen here. Many in attendance were disappointed with vague answers and upset with complete brush offs of impacts that people have felt in other places, including Pennsylvania and Arkansas.

boiestownrally
People rally against shale gas outside SWN Resources’ Open House in Boiestown on June 15, 2011. Photo: Wendy Clowater.

Armand Paul, the spokesperson for the Penniac Anti Shale Gas group, described his feelings on the situation, stating that “it feels like SWN has proposed a new airplane and we are already sitting on that airplane, and now we are taxiing down the runway, just to find out that the pilot is in training”.

Another landowner asked, “How bad does it have to get, before you consider it a bad idea? How many wells gone bad, how many people getting sick, how much rural industrialization has to happen”?
The overarching response by both government and industry was that strong regulations can deal with the concerns brought forward.  “We won’t do it if we cannot do it in a safe, responsible and sustainable manner”, stated Tom Alexander, the Regional Manager for SWN Resources Canada.  At one heated point toward the end of the evening, he told the audience that if they just opened up SWN’s brochures, “you might learn something”.

taymouth 6-15-11 0099
Tap water at a community meeting on shale gas in Taymouth on June 15, 2011. Photo: Stephanie Merrill.

Those in attendance repeated continually, however, that doing it in a safe, responsible and sustainable manner seems to be a problem.  The room erupted in cheers, whistles and foot stomping from the room above whenever a comment was made telling government and industry that they do not want shale gas exploration in their communities – demanding the oil and gas company to leave town.

Similar responses are being echoed to government and industry panels around SWN’s license area.

The very same day as the Nashwaak Valley meeting, about 40 people gathered in protest of SWN’s open house in Boiestown, 30 people gathered in Marysville for a screening of Gasland, and about 300 people packed the auditorium of the MFR High School in St. Louis de Kent for a community information session on shale gas. In the month of June alone there are 17 shale gas-related events on the calendar in communities throughout the province.  Video clips of residents’ statements from previous meetings in Harvey and Upham capture the sentiment of the meetings elsewhere.

Meeting in Harvey (videos)

Upham:

Concerned citizens throughout the province will rally at the Provincial Shale Gas Forum being held at the Fredericton Inn, top of Regent St. on Thursday, June 23, starting at 8am.

To learn more about shale gas exploration in New Brunswick, visit www.ccnbaction.ca and join www.facebook.com/ccnbshalegas

Stephanie Merrill is with the Conservation Council of NB.

Tags: Conservation Council NBHarveyNashwaakPenniacshale gasStephanie MerrillTaymouth
Send

Related Posts

World

Washington tariff circus arrives. Send in the clowns

March 7, 2025

With the emergence of critical minerals as an issue in Ukraine/Russia peace talks, and given the arrival of the Washington...

New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance backs federal carbon pricing at Alberta’s top court
Environment

It’s time: make the fracking moratorium permanent

September 30, 2024

This election marks the tenth anniversary of the 2014 election, when voters turfed the Progressive Conservative government of the day,...

Doctors warn of fracking’s ‘unacceptable health risks.’ Where do the political parties stand? [video]
Environment

Doctors warn of fracking’s ‘unacceptable health risks.’ Where do the political parties stand? [video]

September 30, 2024

A group of doctors and other health professionals says the province should put in place a permanent ban on fracking,...

It’s time to take renewable energy seriously in New Brunswick
Climate change

It’s time to take renewable energy seriously in New Brunswick

April 12, 2024

“My plea here is across party lines to say let’s think bigger,” said Premier Higgs to the House of Commons...

Load More

Recommended

New Brunswicker deported from Egypt following crackdown on March to Gaza [video]

New Brunswicker deported from Egypt following crackdown on March to Gaza [video]

3 days ago
Délai prolongé! COOP Média NB offre d’emploi : Journaliste vidéo autochtone

Toujours pas de justice cinq ans après le meurtre de Chantel Moore

6 days ago
Local News Matters — Incubating local news in the Maritimes [video]

Local News Matters — Incubating local news in the Maritimes [video]

3 days ago
The Millennium Scoop: an ongoing crisis for Indigenous families

The Millennium Scoop: an ongoing crisis for Indigenous families

7 days ago
NB Media Co-op

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Join the Co-op / Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • Calendar
  • Archives

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Join the Co-op / Donate
  • Contact
  • Share a Story
  • COVID-19
  • Videos
  • New Brunswick
  • Canada
  • World
  • Arts & Culture
  • Environment
  • Indigenous
  • Labour
  • Politics
  • Rural

© 2019 NB Media Co-op. All rights reserved.

X
Did you like this article? Support the NB Media Co-op! Vous avez aimé cet article ? Soutenez la Coop Média NB !
Join/Donate