This coming Monday, Richmondites can watch a free screening of the production by Desiree Wallace and Stand.earth at the City Centre Community Centre.
“Fracking the Peace paints a picture of how fracking development in B.C. has been allowed to skyrocket at the expense of the health and safety of watersheds, communities, and the rich agricultural landscape they call home,” said the synopsis.
Fracking is a controversial practice of extracting natural gas by pumping a mixture of water, sand, and chemical additives deep into shale rock formations to create cracks that would release the gas. According to a factsheet published by the provincial government, fracking has existed in the province since the 1960s.
A recent study of water and air samples from the Peace River region, the area featured in the documentary, concluded that there is a need to study the potential health impacts of fracking. Some scientists have also suggested that the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes could be influenced by fracking. And some residents near fracking sites have also been affected by the “bright lights, foul smells and high-decibel industrial noise,” according to CBC.
A Q+A session will follow the screening.
