A story on MSNBC caught my eye today.  For years now, the residents of Pavillion Wyoming have been complaining about their drinking water.  They claim it’s turned black and stinks of gasoline.  Many are claiming serious health issues relate to the problems with the water.  Why am I writing about this?

Well, aside from the genuine tragedy of the situation, there’s a Canadian connection to all of this.  You see, Pavillion sits on a large natural gas deposit.  The only practicable way to get to that gas is process known as “fracking”.

This process involves pumping a mix of water and toxic chemicals under high pressure deep underground to fracture the rock strata and release the gas.  Residents have long been convinced that this is the source of the problems with their water.  Not least because the start of “fracking” and the problems with the water were too close together to seem entirely coincidental.

What does all that have to do with Canada?  Well, as you may know we have a companies here with a lot of experience at pulling fossil fuels out of the ground regardless of the cost.  At least the environmental cost.  One of those is called EnCana.

When the people of Pavillion originally spoke up about their concerns, the company that owned the drilling rights decided it was a good time to cut their losses.  All they needed was a buyer with more cash than ethics.  Fortunately, EnCana fit that bill perfectly.

For years now they have been insisting that the issues with the local aquifer have nothing to do with all the chemicals and toxins they pump into the ground.  I mean really, what are the odds that toxic water pumped into the ground could possibly contaminate the groundwater?

Apparently, they may have miscalculated.  Responding to the ongoing concerns of the residents, the Environmental Protection Agency drilled a couple of deep monitoring wells in the area.  Can anyone guess what they found?

If you said nothing, go buy some EnCana shares.  If you said seriously life threatening levels of exactly the sort of toxins one associates with “fracking”.   These include 2-Butoxyethanol, commonly used in the “fracking” process, fifty times the safe levels of Benzene, Phenois, Acetone, Toluene, Napthalene and Diesel Fuel.  Despite attempts at damage control by EnCana, there were no traces of Nitrates or fertilizers which would have pointed to an agricultural source for the contamination.

Nope, there’s only one source, and in the words of Battlestar Gallactica’s Starbuck, “It’s pretty “fracking” obvious!”

The EPA has released the raw data, but to minimize any claims of error, they are holding off publishing findings pending further analysis.  They want to have all their ducks in a row before it all gets tied up in court for the next thirty years or so.

Meanwhile back in Pavillion Wyoming.  EnCana has denied any culpability for the contaminated ground water.  It is an act of pure charity that sees them supplying drinking water to the townsfolk.  At the same time, they are said to negotiating the sale of their local wells to an outfit from Texas.

The previous owners may not have taught them a clean way to get gas out of the ground, but at least they taught them to cut and run when the going gets tough.

Let’s be clear on one thing though.  When I talk about EnCana’s underhanded dealings with the nice folks of Pavillion, I’m not just talking about a greedy CEO or even a greed Board of Directors.  I’m talking about the greedy shareholders who don’t waste a lot of time looking at the ethical stance of the companies in their portfolios.  They just look at the bottom line and congratulate themselves on backing a winner.

If the EPA rules that EnCana and it’s predecessor and probable successor are responsible for the issues in Pavillion, then their stocks should be frozen the moment the handwriting is on the wall.  The people who wanted to profit off the misery of others shouldn’t really be given a chance to sell out.  Maybe losing some money will make them a little more sympathetic to those who’ve lost their health, their peace of mind, their homes and for  some, their lives.  As for the executives and their boards of directors, all of their assets should be seized and turned over to their victims and they should be banned for life from holding such positions of authority and abuse.

Just one person’s opinion.

Cheers, Winston