IISLANDSLAND WILDLIFE SSttrraaiit ooff GGeeoorrggiiaa NNewsletterewsletter Inside UUnniittiinngg TThhee SSaalliisshh SSeeaa ~~ FFrroomm CCooaasstt ttoo CCooaasstt ttoo CCooaasstt Volume 22 Number 23 2010 Year End Edition $2 at Selected Retailers Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Nº 40020421 Photo: Derek Holzapfel Plumper Sound parking lot. Four (you can’t see one of them) idle freighters waiting for entry to the Port of Vancouver on November 28. Queens in trouble—Southern Gulf Commentary by Sara Miles Counting Carbon Islands’ ferries have a tough season Thank you, Bolivia! Thank you for giving makes up the government? You and I. The substitute Bowen Queen is still formidable variety of wind and current me the courage to say what I was too Our inaction on climate change makes suffering from overload problems on Route conditions. In fact, one of the most difficult Canadian to say: when it comes to climate me want to cry. Polar bears are just the Nº5. Ferry crews have been almost heroic in routes on the ferry system; in contrast to the change and carbon talks, we are big, fat cutest little guys and our irresponsibility is getting people home. Meanwhile, all has not port-to-port Comox–Powell River route. hypocrites. destroying them forever. been plain sailing for the Queen of Burnaby, Route Nº9’s fourth port of call, Sturdies On Day 2 of the COP-16 negotiations in I try to be environmentally friendly and borrowed from Comox–Powell River to Bay, is particularly exposed to southeast Cancun, Mexico, Bolivia’s ambassador to choose to walk or cycle as much as I can, but replace the Queen of Nanaimo (in refit) on winds from the Strait of Georgia, which the UN criticized the nations who are car drivers everywhere seem to have a plot the Southern Islands-Tsawwassen route . accompany most of Southern Islands’ bad negotiating laws that they cannot even to take over the world through complete On Monday, November 22, while winter weather. abide by. Canada is guilty as charged. Pablo annihilation of other transportation modes. docking at Sturdies Bay on Galiano, the Winds continued for the rest of the day Solon was especially critical of carbon offset On a larger scale, our federal government Queen of Burnaby was pinned against the on November 22; the afternoon sailing did market systems like REDD+ that pay won’t even debate a climate change bill, let port-side wingwall by the wind (reported as not leave from Long Harbour. The plastic developing nations to not cut down their alone pass one. And now they are selling our up to 40 knots), and every attempt to back surface of the starboard side wingwall at trees. forests for dodgy German carbon offset out saw the stern of the ship come ever Sturdies Bay had been peeled off by the bow I hope that the Canadian government investment projects. closer to the rather solid rock of Burrill Point of the ship and it was towed away for repair. takes this criticism seriously. The polar ice Let me try to lay out the connections and Bellhouse Park. The following Monday, high winds once caps are melting all around us, and all we between the recent Denman Island land It took an hour’s clever work by the again cancelled the afternoon trip. can do is think of money. I’m referring to the swap, the emerging North American cap skipper to get the stern pointed out into Then on the morning sailing on proliferating carbon offset projects, and trade market, and how these responses Active Pass to permit a brave dash in Thursday, December 2 as the ship including REDD+ programs, which I will to global warming will affect us. Bear with reverse well out into the strait, where the approached Berth 2 at Tsawwassen, the get into later. me, I’m pulling back the rug and it’s going ship could be safely turned around to head skipper warned passengers: ‘Everybody We are hoping carbon trading will solve to be messy. toward Tsawwassen. hold on, we’re going to bump the dock.’ The our climate woes, when all it does is sweep Carbon Offsets Though the 50-year-old sister ships ship wouldn’t go into reverse. our dirt under the rug. However, the dirt is Let’s begin with a crash course in carbon Nanaimoand Burnabywere originally built As it turned out, the bump was gentle piling up and it’s getting noticeable. To trading, or offsetting. The carbon market to the same plans, their respective routes and there was no obvious damage. But the make matters worse, our government CARBON OFFSETS please turn to page 6 have determined different modifications. As return trip to Long Harbour was delayed for seems to be stuck in the Stone Age. And who reported by ferry crews, the two vessels three hours while the ship was repaired. have quite different handling Otter Bay passengers had a very long ride as characteristics. the Queen of Burnaby did not call there Merry Christmas & T hank With a multi-Island loading and until the commencement of the evening unloading pattern, using only one end, the round-trip. However this got her back on Queen of Nanaimo makes a series of schedule. Good work for a quick fix. You to All Our Ferry Crews, demanding dockings and undockings. Many are waiting for Santa; Southern Travelling through Active Pass, Route Islanders are waiting for the return of their on Land and on Ships Nº9 also presents the skipper with a ships, slated for December 16. 0 is available at these SERIOUS COFFEE locations — look for the ‘Island Tides’ yellow boxes or racks Sidney—Beacon Avenue Mill Bay—Island Highway @ Frayne Rd Parksville—Heritage Centre Mall Nanaimo—Across from the Hospital South Duncan—Sun Valley Mall Courtenay—Southgate Centre, Cliffe Ave Nanaimo—Hammond Bay Rd Duncan—Cowichan Commons Mall Port Alberni—Shoppers Drugmart Plaza, 10th Ave Nanaimo—South Parkway Plaza Nanaimo—Hammond Bay Rd, CO-OP Campbell River—Island Highway near Larwood Rd Page 2, ISLAND TIDES, Dec 9, 2010 Water In The Well ~ Peter Lamb Hydraulic fracturing is a process that results in the creation requirements (usually between well and septic system) to of fractures in rocks, the goal of which is to increase the include other setbacks, such as between wells, which would output of a well. The most important industrial use is in indirectly affect the issue of hydrofracturing. Authorization stimulating oil and gas wells, where hydraulic fracturing has or permitting of hydrofracturing is not expected to be been used for over 60 years in more than one million wells. required unless the Ministry moves to drilling Nowadays, hydrofracturing is also used to enhance authorizations in sensitive areas. potable water supply and has been practiced in the Gulf Conclusions and Recommendations Islands with mixed reaction from residents. The Gulf Islands have been identified in the Water Act Where fracture porosity and permeability dominate a Modernization Discussion Paper as an ‘area of known groundwater regime (aquifer is probably a poor term here) quantity concern’ containing a ‘significant population that is any action that opens up a large number of new fractures is reliant on groundwater for drinking water’. Professional likely to alter flow patterns in unpredictable ways. Since the geologists and hydrogeologists on Salt Spring have expressed total volume of water will not be increased through serious concerns over the potential effects of hydrofracturing, hydrofracturing, any improved flow in one well will affect especially in the Gulf Islands and support regulation or even the flow in neighbouring wells. banning of the practice. While the subject well may or may not benefit, where Accordingly, considering the uncertainty inherent in these changes in flow patterns have a negative effect on hydrofracturing groundwater wells in the Gulf Islands and neighbouring wells there has to be some well-defined way the potential danger to safe, reliable potable water supplies to deal with potential impacts. In addition, there is a danger to residents and businesses relying on groundwater, the SSI of opening the regime to salt water intrusion or other Water Council has made the following recommendations to contamination and possibly destroying the potable water the Ministry: source upon which an individual or community water 1. Consider the strict regulation or banning of AT POINT ATKINSON system may depend. hydrofracturing in the proposed new Water Act currently DECEMBER Hydrofracturing is offered by many drilling companies under review by the Ministry (or in changes to the Groundwater Protection Regulation), especially in vulnerable Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. as part of their business and groundwater wells are being ‘fracked’ throughout the Gulf Islands. In general, drillers areas, including the Gulf Islands. 2. If regulations are proposed: 0031 2.0 0.6 0313 12.1 3.7 believe that hydrofracturing has been beneficial to their 8 0806 15.7 4.8 16 0654 11.2 3.4 clients by improving well performance. Most hydrofractures a)Impose strict requirements for minimum distances WE TH 1345 11.2 3.4 1230 14.1 4.3 are reported to be very successful with some dry wells between the subject well and the ocean, neighbouring wells 1754 13.1 4.0 2024 4.6 1.4 and septic systems, to be determined by a professional 0109 2.6 0.8 0407 13.1 4.0 recovering to significant flow rates although many of the 9 0844 15.7 4.8 17 0814 11.8 3.6 wells hydrofracked are not formally tested before or after hydrogeologist at the owner’s expense. TH 1444 10.8 3.3 FR 1305 13.8 4.2 the procedure.