Nos. 29 and 30 VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Ten o’clock a.m.

Prayers by Ms. Trevena.

The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”

Order called for Committee of Supply.

Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of Supply.

Bill (No. 7) intituled Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2011 was committed, reported complete without amendment, read a third time and passed.

(In Committee – Section A)

Section A of Committee of Supply reported progress of the estimates of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Report to be considered at the next sitting.

Committee to sit again at the next sitting.

And then the House adjourned at 11.55 a.m.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

One-Thirty o’clock p.m.

The Hon. B. Barisoff (Speaker) tabled the Merit Commissioner Interim Annual Report, 2010/2011.

The Hon. B. Lekstrom (Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure) presented to the Speaker a Message from His Honour the Administrator, which read as follows:

Robert Bauman
Administrator

The Administrator transmits herewith Bill (No. 14) intituled Coastal Ferry Amendment Act, 2011 and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.

Vancouver Law Courts

May 24, 2011


Bill introduced and read a first time.

Bill Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today.

Order called for “Members’ Statements.”

Order called for “Oral Questions by Members.”

The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”

Order called for Committee of Supply.

Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A and Section B of Committee of Supply.

(In Committee – Section B)


Section B of Committee of Supply reported progress of the estimates of the Ministry of Health.

Report to be considered at the next sitting.

Committee to sit again at the next sitting.

(In Committee – Section A)


Section A of Committee of Supply reported progress of the estimates of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Report to be considered at the next sitting.

Committee to sit again at the next sitting.

And then the House adjourned at 6.29 p.m.

HON. BILL BARISOFF, Speaker

NOTICE OF BILLS

Wednesday, May 25

Mr. Chandra Herbert to introduce a Bill intituled Gender Identity and Expression Human Rights Recognition Act, 2011.

Thursday, May 26

Mr. Sather to introduce a Bill intituled Fair Chase Act.

NOTICE OF MOTIONS

Thursday, May 26

7  Mr. B. Simpson to move –

Be it resolved that this House recognize the need to consider the cumulative impact of the expansion of oil and gas production in the Northeast of British Columbia on public health and safety, provincial greenhouse gas emissions, landuse management, and watersheds.

8  Ms. Huntington to move –

Be it resolved that this House establish a Special Committee to examine questions and concerns related to the expansion of unconventional gas production in British Columbia and the use of hydraulic fracturing technology.

NOTICE OF QUESTIONS

Thursday, May 26

2  Mr. B. Simpson to ask the Hon. Minister of Energy and Mines the following questions:

1. When the greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing, processing and later combusting unconventional gas are considered, how “green” is this energy source compared to other fossil fuels?

2. In the face of historic low prices for natural gas, should B.C. be accelerating the extraction of this resource through provincial subsidies to the industry?

3. If unconventional gas extraction continues in British Columbia should:

• a fair market price be placed on water utilized for this purpose?

• the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing be more regulated and publicly reported?

• the structure of the energy industry regulatorthe Oil and Gas Commissionbe changed to better address and monitor the industry’s cumulative impacts on public health and safety, water and land resources, and climate?

• the regulations governing the sector be more prescriptive to ensure public health and the environment are protected?

4. Are government, the OGC, and industry meeting their legal requirements to consult with First Nations and the spirit and intent of the New Relationship with respect to joint decision-making and revenue sharing?

Unconventional Gas – Impacts on Climate and Energy Security

5. What are the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction and processing of unconventional gas?

6. What may be the additional greenhouse gas emissions associated with more advanced treatment or conversion of natural gas to products such as liquid fuels (diesel, naphtha and propane) or liquid natural gas?

7. Can British Columbia meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets when anticipated unconventional gas development is fully accounted for? If this is not achievable at present, what changes to the way development occurs, and the scale of development, would have to happen to enable B.C. to meet its targets? What public policy approaches could B.C. employ to allow those changes to happen?

8. From a domestic energy security perspective, how much natural gas should B.C. be exporting and over what time period?

9. What revenue streams should British Columbians and First Nations reasonably expect to see from increased unconventional gas production in the province?

3  Ms. Huntington to ask the Hon. Minister of Energy and Mines the following questions:

Unconventional Gas – Impacts on Public Health and Safety

1. Can hydraulic fracturing of gas-bearing shale formations result in groundwater and surface water contamination – waters that may also be drinking water sources? What can be done to reduce such outcomes?

2. In jurisdictions that use multi-well hydraulic fracturing techniques is there evidence of uncontrolled gas leaks? What are the consequences and can the risk of such outcomes be reduced?

3. At what proximity to human settlement may hydraulically fractured gas wells pose an unnecessary risk?

4. What risks are there when contaminants move between hydraulically fractured gas wells in events known as “communications” or “kicks”? At what point may gas wells exceed densities that place human health and public safety at unnecessary risk?

5. Do the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations pose a public health and safety risk? Should they be publicly disclosed?

6. What are the health impacts associated with chronic exposures to low levels of sweet gas and sour gas? What must the province do to eliminate fugitive emissions and reduce flaring to an absolute minimum?

7. What plans does the Oil and Gas Commission have to work with public health officials and the local communities to ensure that industry developments are located and staged in a manner that poses the least risk to human populations?

8. What plans are there to project forward the number of unconventional gas wells that may be drilled in the province and to ensure that the cumulative development of wells does not endanger the health and safety of the general public and First Nations communities or the environment?

Unconventional Gas – Impacts on Water and Land

9. How many unconventional gas wells are projected in British Columbia?

10. What will the associated water demand be?

11. What water conservation policies are presently in place?

12. What regulations and market measures, such as water pricing, might be sound public policy choices to maximize water conservation by the industry?

13. What role does the Oil and Gas Commission play in assigning water rights to the gas industry? What role do provincial water stewardship officials with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations play in assigning such rights? How do both agencies cooperate to ensure that: all water assignments are known, the actual water used by the industry is tracked, all wastewater produced by the industry is accounted for and its disposal methods and disposal sites are approved?

14. What cumulative impact assessments are there to ensure that industry water use is sustainable and poses no threat to watersheds? (Areas in northeast B.C. have already been identified by the provincial Forest Practices Board as being heavily impacted by a combination of oil and gas industry, forestry and cattle-grazing activities.)

15. Will the Water Act Modernization process ensure sustainable water use in the shale gas industry?

16. Under what circumstances may industry water applications be subject to an environmental assessment process? Should water applications exceeding a certain threshold be subject to such assessments?

17. Can unconventional gas developments be staged to reduce environmental impacts on lands and waters?