So what is the problem?
Hawke's Bay is an essential food production area. Only a third of the planet's entire surface has fertile soil to feed over 7 billion people. Some of Hawke's Bay's soils are in the top three categories on Earth. We have an extensive aquifer system of high-quality water.
These resources must be kept free from contamination.
We must protect our vital future food production capacity.
We cannot live without food and clean water but we can live without gas and oil.
Fracking goes deep into the earth's crust well below the aquifers.
It has the potential to place our key food production industry, our environment, our landscape and our public health in jeopardy.
The international gas and oil industry has created huge areas of desertification in other places and in Third World countries water has been privatised by major companies leaving villages with only contaminated dirty water.
In Italy where there are petro-chemical industries the people are desperate. They tell us everywhere we go "we are dying. What can we do?" The air for miles around these industries is dirty brown smog.
In Alberta, Canada, vast forest land has been converted to black dead desert. The main benefits gained in countries being exploited for oil and gas are to the very wealthy, not to the ordinary citizens.
The products are mostly consumed by the wealthy countries like the US.
How do we provide the large quantities of water? Can we safely deal with the toxic chemical waste?
The toxic mix includes diesel and a number of other nasties. We cannot spare the water needed even if we build the proposed dam. (We are being told that is for farming needs.)
The chemicals can leach into the aquifer, and also find their way back to the surface. Chemical ponds are a further risk to the environment in times of flooding and seismic activity when they overflow, and can become a source of spray drift.
This is long-term and dangerous contamination. Do we the public want this here in Hawke's Bay?
Hawke's Bay is a high earthquake risk area with the entire North Island east coast sitting on two main fault lines and a multitude of secondary and minor faults.
There are two active offshore trenches capable of creating large tsunami. Hikorangi trench is recognised as capable of a magnitude 9-plus seismic event with a trigger point identified just below the Bay of Plenty.
We do have alternative fuel choices. We have high-quality research potential here. We should be putting our money into utilising solar and wind energy efficiently.
We have dairying, sewage plants and industries producing huge quantities of waste which converted to energy could potentially be a valuable resource.
Energy produced on site and used locally would save money on cross country transmission lines and pylons.
Fracking has been banned in Australian states and France, and New Jersey, New York and Maryland are considering bans.
Consents have been granted here in Hawke's Bay and fracking will be commenced in a few months.
Can we stop it? This is up to the people.
There is plenty of information accessible on the internet.
(Abridged)
Diane Charteris, Taradale
