I wonder if it will even get his attention, if only for a second?
Somehow I really don't think so....
When do we get a chance to vote this , ok I can 't say that,
person,
out of his ivory tower?

Are we really naive enough to think Gordon Campbell even give a damn?
He's only coming for the photo op and the free lunch.
Actually,I am suprised he even has the guts to come anywhere near the northern parts of the province.
Especially when it relates to mining which the Liberals don't believe in,much like the NDP.
Get a rope.

He has lots of body guards...
so I guess he feels loved....

I don't know who told you the NDP doesn't like mining, but whoever it was is a liar. The NDP is quite willing to support mining as long as it is done in an environmentally safe manner. NO dmage to the environement, remediation of any caused during mining, and leave it as you found it. If it costs the companies money, then that's the cost of doing business.

Actually ammonra,the NDP pretty much told us that the last time they were in office.
Do you recall what happened to the mining industry in B.C.during that time?
(not that the Liberals are much better)

Was this project appealed?

I seen a TV documentary on coal bed methane in the Northwest US. The aftermath ain't nice. I ain't a believer in it. Sorry.

Andyfreeze, the last mine to open in BC was Kemess North, and it opened during the time the NDP was the government.

The NDP is opposed to any form of mining that dirties the environment. If it were to be done in an environmentally clean manner it would be met with a far more positive attitude. Dirty and environmentally damaging forms of mining should not be encouraged. Let those making the profits pay for environmentally clean practices. It is the cost of doing business. That is nothing to apologise for. The owners of the minerals, that's us, should not pay to clean up someone else's environmental poisons.

Look at what happened with the open pit copper mine at Courtney on Vancouver Island when it was abandoned by the company involved. It has leached enough copper into the rivers and sea to destroy a fish habitat. I resent having to pay taxes to resolve that. It should have been paid for by the company involved as part of the cost of doing business. If they can't afford to pay for the cleanup, then they should not open their mines in the first place.

For some information about the difficulties of copper mine remediation have a look at this pdf file about the open pit copper mine at Port hardy.

www.trcr.bc.ca/docs/1999-wilton-lawrence.pdf

Has anybody that opposes this development actually SEEN a REAL coal-bed methane development, besides "documentaries" by rabid environmental zealots??? Aside from a few surface wells, the activity is completely underground. The surface landowners are compensated for anything built and lots of high-paying jobs are created. Oh wait I forgot, people in BC dont want that, they want seasonal, unpredictable employment in the forest sector so they can work for awhile, then get laid off and ride it out on EI like newfies. Everyone in BC uses nat gas, but they dont want to contribute to the supply. Anybody who opposes this development is a hypocrite and should have their gas valves shut off - they'd sing a different tune then. The hubbub about CBM was caused by very early water disposal problems which have long since been solved. But good luck explaining that to any of these cavemen.

ammonra- It doesnt matter if the NDP aproved kemess (The operation was already establised)or not they still had a negative attitude towards exploration in bc which turned off mining companys to invest here which spoke loudly in the stock exchange which ultimatly drives mining and exploration funding in B.C. The three letters N.D.P is enough to drive shareholder interest out of this province.

In this day and age, there is absolutley no excuse for a mine that damages the enviroment.
None.
The technology is all there, but it takes a government with some guts to enforce it.
But that doesn't mean that mining should not get a lot more respect and consideration as a viable industry than it has in the past and should get in the future.
Instead of encouraging mining and enforcing the guidelines,the Liberals treat it like like it was a waste of time.
And the NDP was no better.
For northern B.C. facing long term forestry woes,, it is time the government started working WITH these mining companies to bring these mines on line.
Our economy needs them in a big way and they CAN be done right.
Also,I have never understood why these mining companies etc.are NOT responsible for the mess they leave behind.
Again,in this day and age with the technology we have,that should never happen again.

"ride it out on EI like newfies"...whoa!..you are liable to get a visit from a bunch of "newfies" gamblor!
:-(

hey regardless of if you think the NDP like mining or not don't bother blaming them for the price of minerals
that was the main reason mining died in the 90's
we had mines closing -- Mcleese lake, Mt Poley
we had mines ready to close -- Huckleberry, Highland valley
these mines are only going again or still because copper is running about $3.70/lb and not $0.70 as it waswhen the first 2 shut down
if copper was still below $1 and gold was below the $300 range there would be no mining exploration happening now either
we had coal mines closing during that time also
not because of the NDP but because of market
coal at that time was less than $100/ton now over $300 and the mines in Tumbler are finally making money not balancing on the verge of bankruptcy
Kemess South and Mt. Poley and Huckleberry all intially fired up in the 90's
no new mineral mine has fired up since this government has come into power
as for zealots and the coal bed methane maybe take a drive through parts of Montana & Wyoming and see what they have left behind
anyways that's my rant have a nice day

Of course it matters that the NDP approved Kemess. If they had not doen so there would be no mine. It is there precisely because the NDP approved it.

I have hunted in Montana, Big Wayne on a ranchers land who had CBM development. The hunting was great, the water clean. The only visual impact was a the odd well every few valleys and the roads to access them. People dont bat an eye at clearcut logging which destroys the surface for miles and needs even more roads, but for some reason CBM is the worst thing that ever happened - I dont get it. Comparing CBM today to what it was in the 70's is apples to oranges.

In reference to newfies - do they not love their EI? Is logging for the winter knowing you're going to get laid off come spring not milking the system? What working working the 3rd shift at a sawmill, knowing your is job is only viable so long as the mill is working flat-out on 3 shifts? These bums dont want permanent jobs in their area because they'd be forced to work for a living like the rest of us. like newfies.

The Skenna river is one of the last pristine rivers left in this province that has no industry dumping its waste in or near it. Lets try and keep it that way so maybe future generations can see what a clean river looks like.

The Skenna river is one of the last pristine rivers left in this province that has no industry dumping its waste in or near it. Lets try and keep it that way so maybe future generations can see what a clean river looks like.

Can't make bigoted remarks about Aboriginals any more so make bigoted remarks about Newfoundlanders instead. That's a real improvement. Not!

Why bother mining for copper? It is easier to steal it. If ya get caught, the penalties are slight. Who needs a crummy old copper mine when there is copper everywhere just waiting to be stolen?

ammonra...oh no not the fish!

You can have CBM and keep the Skeena pristine. What about all the logging and agricultural run-off into the Skeena? Thats OK for some reason? Its hard to enjoy a river when you got no job. Or are you proposing to let the area decline - heck the very wealthy can always afford to fly in. Maybe you could make your living changing their sheets and fetching their drinks. Whats wrong with comparing the work ethic of atlantic canadians to the work ethic of pacific canadians?

Not in MY backyard!

all of you who complain about mines...if you look around you and its not growing it was mined. So suck it up...and stop consuming...

First, visit http://skeenawatershed.com if you're already convinced this project is a disaster. They have some ways you can take action online, including sending an instant fax to shell and the premier.

Second, the suggestion that CBM creates jobs is ludicrous. Once the infrastructure is in place, there is very minimal employment.

At the same time, this project threatens important parts of the region's existing economy, namely guide outfitting and sport angling. The dollars those industries bring into the Skeena every year (skeena salmon bring in >$110 million/yr to the region) are an order of magnitude higher than what this project would contribute.

CBM has never been done in a wild salmon watershed, so Shell is essentially experimenting here. To make things worse, at a meeting in Smithers last week, Shell's Kathy Penny admitted Shell Canada Energy has never itself developed a CBM project before. Do we want to be their first time?

Finally, believe it or not, CBM projects are not subject to a government-led environmental assessment, such as the ones mines have to go through. This despite the fact that most CBM projects involve hundreds to thousands of wells. This is a very different industry from mining, make no mistake.

The Skeena gives us far more than CBM ever will. Shell wants to start drilling in a month. It's time to send them packing.

For the record, coalbed methane developments are not mining. It is large scale plumbing project.

CBM has few long term jobs and projects are not held to same standard as mines as they are not required to undergo an environmental impact assessment.

High risks with low benefits. This project doesn't make sense considering what is at stake.

I agree humdinger. I am not against the CBM but this protest appears to be echoing ammonra sentiments. There needs to be some sort of assurance through legislation, regulation-- SOMETHING to protect the environment. There is not anything guaranteeing the communities involved that there wont be long term or short term environmental damages to the watershed. If this was going on the Nechako I am sure you'd be singing a different tune.

*oops...the "I am sure you'd be" was intended as I am sure ONE would be..I gotta get off the computer...overtired.

Gordo will only see what he wants to see - maybe he is in Smithers promoting the Olympics - after all, Smithers does have a ski hill - is Pat attending the meeting - he believes there is "gold in the Nechako Basin". I agree - a free meal, more air miles for him - nothing else.
The nerve of that man to show his face in the North with the economony as it stands today. Olympic dollars should be used for the people of the province "not the rich and famous".

the social responsibilities that are shown by the current corporations is very dismal make no mistake they are here to loot and plunder as they have done in the past,trivial precedent law suits by the native groups are the only share programs in place to keep more wealth in the north.
gordon campbell needs to wake up and realize that northerners would be better off without his old southern form of share cropping, maybe we need to leave b.c. north separated as a
legacy to his memoirs?

I've seen natural gas operations, and they are very clean and low impact. The produced salt water (natural byproduct of natural gas) is pumped right back into the ground where they got it from.

There are long term opportunites for service and maintenance personnel as well as plant operators.

The oil and gas industry has come a really long way from the days of dumping mud and sludge on the back of the lease.

I agree with "thereasonableman", natural gas operations can be clean and low impact because it is a 'conventional gas'. Coalbed methane, however, is an 'unconventional gas' because it uses unconventional methods. I live in Alberta where we heard our fair share of how low impact coalbed methane is. If not being able to drink my own water that has been without problems for 4 generations until we got a couple coalbed methane wells on our property is a low impact then you need to stop sniffing the toxic stench coming from your employer's butt! (I wonder if it's Shell?) The folks in BC need to do a better job than we did here to make sure they don't let this happen. Our water is not the only thing that has gone wrong. I can't get a good crop to feed my cattle because the water is no good so we don't have much of an income anymore. We can't sell because our land is now worthless. No one in their right mind, or at least, a reasonable person, would let this happen anywhere - let alone in a place that deserves a name like the sacred headwaters.

CBM doesnt create jobs? What are you basing that on? There's plenty of jobs from the field to the office, nevermind the spin off jobs from having high-paid, steady workers in town. And to 4xFour, if you got wells on your land, then you're getting paid - I call BS on your little story, you're just a greenie in disguise sowing lies. You'll make more on leases than you will on cattle anyday. Farmers in AB kill for CBM leases because its the one time you actually make money farming.