No flammable water in Telkwa, residents say
Local officials question MLA's claim methane is making drinking water flammable
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 | 12:29 PM PT
CBC News
Northern Health officials say they're eager to talk to anyone concerned about methane in their drinking water after a Liberal MLA claimed the gas has made some northern B.C. tap water flammable.
MLA Dennis MacKay said in the legislature on April 14 that methane coming from water taps in some homes atop the Telkwa coalfield could be lit on fire.
"If you waited long enough … you could actually light a match to the gas that was coming up with the water," he confirmed for the CBC on Monday.
MacKay raised the issue in the legislature as part of a defence of another coal-bed methane development, Royal Dutch Shell's Klappan/Sacred Headwaters project, in the far northwest of the province.
The methane was being released naturally from a coal bed, even though there had been no drilling for methane in Telkwa yet, but the water was still safe to drink, said MacKay.
But Telkwa Fire Chief Harold (Stoney) Stoltenberg called the MLA's comments worse than "hot air."
"It borders on fear mongering, saying something like that, unless you can substantiate it. I have never heard of anyone … ever having a problem with burning tap water or exploding showers or toilets due to methane gas," said Stoltenberg.
Northern Health officials would like to hear concerns
A query from CBC News about the gas was the first Northern Health officials had heard of methane in drinking water, said Mark Karjaluoto, the director of communications for Northern Health.
"Clearly if someone did have a concern, we'd like very much for them to bring it forward to us, so we can investigate and do some testing and see if there's a risk factor there," said Karjaluoto.
Other residents say the MLA's comments are just not true.
Kelly Stokes, who lives atop the coalfield, told the CBC she has knocked on every door in the area, "and there is not one person who can light their tap water on fire."
So far the source of MacKay's information remains a mystery. The MLA has said only that he got his information from a person who lives on the coalfield, near Smithers, but won't release that person's name.
"I spent 29 years in the RCMP and my job relied on talking to people who confided in me. I'm not going to run out and tell," said MacKay.
With files from Betsy Trumpener
