The B.C. Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation has expressed concern about how to approach Liquefied Natural Gas Development on Treaty 8 First Nations Land.
“Resource use with Treaty 8 and the provincial government has been, let’s call it strained,” says Scott Fraser, who is the MLA for Alberni-Pacific Rim and Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation spokesperson for the B.C. NDP Caucus Team.
Documents obtained through B.C.’s Freedom of Information Law reveal a Human Health Risk Assessment was completed in November 2014 that covered six Treaty 8 First Nations communities: Blueberry River, Doig River, Halfway River, McLeod Lake, Saulteau, and West Moberly First Nations.
The assessment provides two similar options suggested by the Ministry of Health about how to present the finding s to the Treaty 8 communities. The first suggestion involves the Ministry of Health hiring a consultant to hold community meetings explaining the results and fielding questions. While the second approach involves a cross-ministry approach, lead by the Ministry of Health or another Ministry where consultants would be hired to lead a public information campaign to provide information on the assessment’s findings.
(*) What is the Documentation? – The information is the two options proposed by the B.C. Ministry of Health about how to present the findings of the Human Health Risk Assessment.
(*) From which department did these pages come? – These pages came from the B.C. Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
(*) Why was this information helpful? The information was helpful because it shows the concern the B.C. Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and the B.C. Ministry of Health have when it comes to presenting information to the Treaty 8 First Nations.
“We just want to be at the table at the beginning, not towards the end,” explains Rodney Nelson, a lecturer at Carleton University and CEO of Global Governance Group, a consulting firm that specializes in working with Indigenous governments. “If you’re thinking about any problems just bring them on board,” explains Nelson because “some of the First Nations out there are very interested in projects like this” and being able to be partners with the government and various companies.
The assessment concluded that the risks of chemicals of potential concern (COPC) “were not predicted to result in adverse health effects in people living or visiting the study area.”
The assessment also determined that even though some areas exceeded exposure limits for certain COPC’s, it is not expected to create adverse health effects due to the rarity of it happening combined with the safety measures put into the assessment.
(*) What is the information? – The information is the findings from the Human Health Assessment. The HHRA claims that the potential for adverse human health effects is low due to potential exposure from Chemicals of Potential Concern (COPC)
(*) From which department did these pages come? – These pages came from the B.C. Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
(*) Why was this information helpful? – This information is helpful because it provides the information that the B.C. government is using as they pursue Liquefied Natural Gas developments on Treaty 8 First Nations Land.
(*) What is the information? – The information is the findings from the Human Health Assessment. The HHRA claims that Chemicals of Potential Concern risks in the air were determined to not result in adverse health effects for people on Treaty 8 First Nations Land
(*) From which department did these pages come? – These pages came from the B.C. Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
(*) Why was this information helpful? – This information is helpful because it provides the information that the B.C. government is using as they pursue Liquefied Natural Gas developments on Treaty 8 First Nations Land.
In recent years Liquefied Natural Gas development has been promoted by Premier Christy Clark as a new way to create billions of dollars in economic development within the province. The process involves fracking, where drilling takes place into the ground and a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals is injected in order to crack the rocks and allow the natural gas to flow to the surface.
Despite the assessment’s findings regarding human health, there are still questions for some that are left unanswered. One of the main concerns about liquefied natural gas is the potential environmental effect on the Treaty 8 First Nations land. Scott Fraser remembers vividly the last time he visited the Treaty 8 First Nations, flying late one night where “there’s flaring all over the place. The landscape is being changed in huge ways. Including the wildlife corridors, potential destruction of water supplies. It potentially impacts the way of life that has existed for Treaty 8 people for millennia.”
Rodney Nelson believes the process that the B.C. government is using plays a big role in how they view the environment. The process they’re using was developed in Europe, and in Europe it’s not a concern anymore. They don’t have vast amounts of wilderness to worry about. Here we do,” he explains, “a lot of people are still living off the land or supplementing off it.
In response to reports and assessments made by the provincial government, Treaty 8 First Nations have been conducting there own research about liquefied and its effects. The Treaty 8 Tribal Association among other First Nations groups have hired Dr. Gilles Wendling, a hydrogeologist who is doing work on the potential risk of aquifers and water supplies because of these practices.
“The Treaty 8 First Nations have a treaty,” says Scott Fraser, “this is a treaty nation. The government is pursuing this as though they don’t have a treaty and as though they don’t exist.”
Access to Information Request – Heritage Canada
