Report says we don’t know enough about risks
A Canadian Council of Academies report released May 1 says we do not know enough about the environmental risks of shale gas extraction to justify a rapid expansion of the practice in Canada.
In 2012 Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq asked the CCA to form a research panel to answer the questions: What is the state of knowledge of potential environmental impacts from the exploration extraction and development of Canada’s shale gas resources and what is the state of knowledge of associated mitigation options?
The report from the 14-person panel concluded that despite the economic potential presented by shale gas exploration and the greenhouse gas reductions that may be brought on by replacing oil and coal with cleaner-burning natural gas from shale deposits environmental risks are still too poorly understood to warrant an endorsement of shale gas extraction.
“More well-targeted science is required to ensure that ultimately long-term public interests are well understood and safeguarded” it says in reference to shale gas exploitation.
Alberta and B.C. already have multiple shale gas operations. Large deposits are also known to exist in Quebec Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
