CBC reports, “An engineering professor from Cornell University urged Maritime governments to be cautious about shale gas development. Tony Ingraffea, who has a Ph.D. in rock fracturing mechanics, told delegates at the ‘Protecting our Communities: A Conference on Shale Gas and Fracking’ conference in Truro, N.S., on Saturday that there is no reason to rush into shale gas drilling. …Ingraffea said it could take 10 years to collect enough data to determine the safety of hydro-fracking. …Ingraffea said there is still much that science doesn’t know about the process, but the fact that it causes groundwater contamination is not in doubt.”
“The Truro conference was a gathering of citizens, activists and experts sponsored by NOFRAC, the Ecology Action Centre, the Council of Canadians, and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.”
“In Nova Scotia, the Dexter government announced a review of its regulations regarding shale gas development in April. …(Ingraffea says,) ‘There’s no logical reason other than political reason for Nova Scotia to join the experiment. Let it play out where it’s ongoing. Let the science continue to evolve. Let the technology continue to evolve and get to a point … four to five, maybe even 10 years from now, when adequate science has been done and the cumulative impact of all this activity on the environment, human health and climate can be scientifically assessed.'”
“Fracking has been a controversial issue in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where numerous groups and communities have come forth to oppose shale gas exploration.” The Council of Canadians opposes fracking because of its high water use, its high carbon emissions, its impacts on human health, the disruption it causes to wildlife, and the danger it poses to groundwater and local drinking water. We are calling for a country-wide stop to fracking operations. We will also be launching a petition campaign shortly to put pressure on the federal government to step into a leadership role and ensure that our water sources, people’s health and the environment are protected from unnecessary and dangerous pollution.
