The Yukon River is the lifeblood of residents and the Yukon tourism industry. I think we are rushing into developing this resource too quickly.
Natural gas prices are low right now. There is no rush in developing the resource. It won’t go bad, and we already have a strong economy. This will only encourage companies to bring in more, temporary Outside workers. It won’t benefit our community or our economy. And the potential risk is high.
The benefits will go to the oil companies, while the Yukon people, and the Yukon tourism industry, will bear all of the risk. Our water is at risk of contamination from chemicals like benzene, which is unsafe at any concentration, and is present in fracking fluids.
Accidents may not be that common, but they happen. And with hydraulic fracturing, in an earthquake zone, the risks are greater. We know that we have significant groundwater movement, from deep water to surface, because we have a hot spring in the area. This acts as a conveyor belt bringing deep water to the surface. So deep-water contamination, which is actually likely with fracking, could easily be brought to the surface.
And fracking is linked to causing earthquakes, which can cause damage, shift our water tables and break well casings. We are already prone to earthquakes here. Fracking will increase that risk.
Please consider putting a moratorium on fracking until it is better understood, and don’t risk our water supply for little or no benefit to the Yukon.
Mike Tribes
Whitehorse