Consultation now required

The Dene Tha’ First Nation expects full consultation on shale gas development in the Horn River Basin in northeastern B.C. now that the Consultation Protocol Agreement with the BC Oil and Gas Commission and Ministry of Energy and Mines has expired. Under that agreement, BC held that it did not have to consult with Dene Tha’ because of the geographical scope of the “consultation area.” With the agreement no longer in place, BC is required to consult with Dene Tha’ throughout its Traditional Territory in British Columbia, which includes most of the Horn River Basin. “We are deeply concerned about the lack of adequate information necessary to understand the impacts of shale gas development to the environment and our rights, given that shale gas technologies are new to northeastern BC, enormous volumes of water are required, serious contamination problems have arisen with shale gas development in the United States, and insufficient studies have been undertaken to identify and address impacts from shale gas technologies,” said Dene Tha’ Chief James Ahnassay, in a news release.