Coalbed Methane (CBM)
Coalbed methane is a gas that is associated with coal deposits. It is extracted by drilling a network of wells and transporting the gas to market by pipeline. Throughout North America, coalbed methane development has been controversial because of its high risks to groundwater and the fragmentation of natural landscapes.
In the Skeena Watershed, two coalbed methane developments have posed a threat to wild salmon.
Telkwa Coalbed Methane
In 2006, Calgary-based Outrider Energy proposed a coalbed methane development near the community of Telkwa, B.C. This proposal drew strong opposition from the residents of the Bulkley Valley, as well as the Wet’suwet’en Nation within whose traditional territory the Telkwa Coalfield falls. After several years of protests, Outrider Energy withdrew its interest in the project. To date, the B.C. government has not awarded a development tenure in this area.
Sacred Headwaters
At the headwaters of the Skeena River, Royal Dutch Shell proposes a much more extensive coalbed methane project involving over 1,000 gas wells. This area, called the Sacred Headwaters because it is the shared birthplace of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine Rivers, is home to grizzly bears, caribou, and several species of wild salmon. Shell’s project has been strongly opposed by the First Nations of the three watersheds, as well as municipal and regional governments, labour unions, and guide outfitter associations. The issue has gained media attention around the world. As a result, in December 2008 the B.C. government announced a two-year moratorium on Shell’s development activities, with the possibility of extending the moratorium to four years if necessary. Conservation groups including SkeenaWild continue to work towards permanently safeguarding the Sacred Headwaters from the negative impacts of coalbed methane development.
To learn more about the coalbed methane and the potential threat to salmon, please read CBM and Salmon-A report by the Pembina Institute
Science, research and monitoring are an important part of the work that we do here at SkeenaWild. We continue to provide support to many community and regional groups to help stop the threat of CBM development to Skeena river salmon. Furthermore, in 2010, SkeenaWild commissioned EcoLogic to carry out lake core sampling in the Nass and Kluayaz lake systems to try and better understand past environmental conditions. Paleolimnology, which uses the remains of aquatic organisms along with physical and chemical markers preserved in lake sediments, can provide information on past physical and biological conditions within lakes.
Take Action
Check out Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, Friends of Wild Salmon or Forest Ethics websites to find out how you can help stop this bad gas plan.