On the map
Country’s first high-detail
atlas links local environment
to health P5
Fracking under fire
National Grid threatens legal
action against fracking firm as
public support falls P8 & P10
Narrowing lead
Germany closes the wind
energy gap as the UK’s
commitment falters P14
GreenWeek
ClickGreen’s review of all the week’s news, views, research and analysis with a focus on low carbon and sustainability
Volume 26: May 2, 2014
Canada to ‘go slow’ on fracking as
it can’t be sure of long-term risks
Cautious approach advised as two-year study finds many unanswered questions
By Stuart Qualtrough
D espite being the world’s
third-largest natural gas
producer, Canada is to
adopt a ‘go slow’ approach to
shale gas development after a
Government-commissioned
report warned of a lack of longterm risk data relating to the
environment and health.
The two-year study cautioned
“that possible environmental and
health effects of shale gas
development may take decades to
become apparent” and said many
instances to date had proceeded
without sufficient data.
The expert panel report,
Environmental Impacts of Shale
Gas Extraction in Canada, released
by the Council of Canadian
Academies, agrees that a ‘go slow’
approach would allow time for a
better understanding of the
potential dangers and reduce the
future impacts. And it concludes
that shale gas development must
be supported by well-targeted
science and management
strategies to understand and
mitigate potential effects.
Shale gas is leading an energy
boom which is having profound
economic, environmental and
social impacts across much of
North America. Shale gas has
been characterised as an energy
‘game changer’ because it is
abundant, often close to major
markets, and relatively
Canadian authorities warned of long-term dangers of shale gas drilling
inexpensive to produce.
As the world’s third-largest
natural gas producer, fourthlargest exporter, and possessing
vast shale gas resources of its own,
Canada has a major stake in this
new source of energy.
The Council of Canadian
Academies was asked by
Environment Canada to conduct
an evidence-based assessment to
determine the state of knowledge
on potential environmental
impacts from the exploration,
extraction, and development of
Canada’s shale gas resources. The
Council was not asked to determine
the safety, nor the economic
benefits, of development.
To conduct the assessment,
the Council assembled a
multidisciplinary expert panel to
... environmental and
health effects of shale
gas development may
take decades to
become apparent
Environmental
Impacts of Shale
Gas Extraction in
Canada report
consider all available evidence
relating to shale gas development
in Canada. The panel relied on
peer-reviewed literature and
reports from government, industry,
international bodies, and nongovernmental organisations, in
addition to workshops and
conference attendance, and the
members’ own expertise.
The panel’s assessment focused
on a number of environmental
impacts. They include:
• Well Integrity. Natural gas and
fluid leakage from wells due to
inadequate cement seals is a longrecognised yet unresolved
problem that continues to
challenge engineers
• Water. Most experts agree that
impacts on water raise the greatest
environmental concern from shale
gas development. Risks exist for
both potable groundwater and
surface water. Proper management
and continued monitoring can help
mitigate some of these risks
• Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
Emissions. The impact of GHG
emissions from shale gas will
depend on the control of methane
leakage, how shale gas is used,
and broader energy policy
• Land Impacts and Seismic
Events. Large-scale shale gas
development may represent the
start of decades-long industrial
activity. It should be noted that
practices currently exist to reduce
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