Industry needs to present its own case at public forums

Frontiersman editorial board

At a borough work session to discuss coal-bed methane development in the Valley, some questions were raised about whether "both sides" of the issue were being fairly presented. Two hydrologists, Mark Clark from the USDA and Scott Wheaton who works for the Municipality of Anchorage, presented their views on potential impacts CBM development could have on water quality and supply here.

Borough Assembly Member Talis Colberg expressed concern because he'd seen Clark and Wheaton make presentations against drilling at other venues, and said he was disappointed no one was present at the work session to present the industry's perspective.

The important thing to point out here is that Clark and Wheaton were speaking as hydrologists, not as representatives of any organization, and not in favor or in opposition to anything in particular. Neither was paid to present their opinions about CBM development. It's also important to point out that pro-development people seem to be surprised at every turn that they are underrepresented at public meetings, yet they do little to ensure their view is fairly heard. In this particular case, some audience members did point to a person in the back of the room and identified him as someone from Evergreen Resources. He did give his perspective that the geology of the area needed to be considered, and that the many aquifers in the Valley are not directly affected by runoff from the mountains, unless they're right next to the mountain.

The point previously made by Clark and Wheaton was that wells could, indeed, affect aquifers by either depleting them or contaminating them -- especially important since there are currently regulations covering what comes out of wells, but not regulating what goes in. Chemicals used in the fracing process are not specifically regulated, and do not even need to be reported until long after they've been injected.

At any rate, what is most needed is technical information from scientific experts, like Clark and Wheaton. This is not a battle for or against CBM development, it is a battle to ensure that our community remains safe and our quality of life remains high no matter what development we pursue. The scientific assessment should be fair and balanced, but the industry is responsible to present its case, and pro CBM people should be sure to bring their experts to the table for every meeting.