Quebec Report Urges Halting Shale Gas Activity, More Study
Quebec’s environmental assessment bureau recommended halting natural-gas exploration and production in Canadian shale fields until more study provides a better understanding of the environmental impacts of the process known as hydraulic fracturing.
The recommendation, made in a government report released today, was the result of an investigation into the industry’s practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals to shatter underground rocks and release gas, also known as “fracking.”
The investigation was requested by the Quebec ministry of natural resources and environment following months of criticism from environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Nature Quebec about the potential contamination of drinking-water supplies.
The report underscored the need for strict monitoring and regulation of the industry, the government of Quebec said on its website. The recommendation will help guide the government’s actions, said Pierre Arcand, Quebec’s environment minister.
Investment to explore Quebec’s shale gas formations has reached C$100 million ($103 million) in the past two years, according to the provincial oil and gas association. Fossil fuels, including natural gas, make up 38 percent of Quebec’s total energy use.
Across the U.S. border, the Delaware River Basin Commission, which manages the watershed that supplies drinking water to 15 million people in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, also has put gas development on hold in the river watershed while it drafts rules about hydraulic fracturing.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jeremy van Loon at jvanloon@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Susan Warren at susanwarren@bloomberg.net.
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