Environmental group says fracking studies are flawed
Posted Jun 4, 2014 05:56:48 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – An expert panel says hydraulic fracturing won’t threaten Nova Scotia’s groundwater supply if the process is closely monitored and properly regulated.
That’s the finding of two draft reports released yesterday in the province.
The panel led by Cape Breton University president David Wheeler also says the province’s reasonably stable geology makes the contamination of drinking water wells less likely than in other areas.
But a spokeswoman for the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre says the two studies are flawed.
Jennifer West says there are no references and no peer-reviewed reports at all.
West also challenged the panel’s suggestion that Nova Scotia’s existing drinking water regulations are good enough to ensure drilling and fracking is done safely.
In 2012, the Nova Scotia government placed a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, saying it needed more time to study the rapidly growing industry.
