Transition Town Woodstock – Movie Night Notice by Keith Helmuth
“Be... Without Water?”- An NB Movie
The thought of being left without drinking water is one of the most drastic environmental circumstances we can imagine. Yet, a rural community in New Brunswick has been devastated in just this way.
A new film by Rob Turgeon tells the story of what happened when sixty families in the community of Penobsquis, near Sussex, suffered this calamity. This important documentary will be shown on January 25th at 7:00 PM in the Teaching Theatre at the Woodstock campus of New Brunswick Community College.
The showing of this film is being sponsored by Transition Town Woodstock as part of its monthly movie night series. There is no charge for admission.
“Be Without Water” covers the full scope of what happened to the residents of Penobsquis through extensive interviews and by following the community’s attempt to establish what caused their wells to suddenly go dry. It seemed obvious to everyone affected that the extensive potash mining in the community had undercut the aquifers that supplied well water and drained away this essential resource.
As is often the case, the industry responded by saying there is no “proof” that the mining operation caused the wells to go dry. And so the battle began to get a proper investigation and a full hearing on the situation. Rob Turgeon’s excellent film tells the story of how this small rural community has been fighting to have its situation recognized and the responsibility for its loss of water identified.
The battle is still in process. Hearings have been held. At first, hauled in water was supplied to those who had lost their wells. Now those who need water hauled in have to pay for it. There are big issues of injustice and fairness, as well as environmental damage, in this situation, and it is, as yet, far from resolved.
The film, “Be Without Water” brings the story up to date. It is an inspiring account of what ordinary rural people can do when they work together on behalf of their common good.
But the film does more. It also raises the question of the risk to ground water disruption and contamination posed by an invasion of shale gas wells and hydro fracturing technology.
It is too late for the folks of Penobsquis: Resource mining has apparently ruined their access to water and destroyed their property values. The future of shale gas mining is yet to be decided. The risk to water resources is the real flash point of fear for the many communities that stand to be affected by shale gas mining.
Come see “Be Without Water” and join in the discussion that will follow.
Submitted by Sam Arnold
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