Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking)

Fracking sites in Nova Scotia’s Hants County are currently dormant, awaiting approval from the government for waste disposal from fracking activities from 2007 to the present.  This is a photo of a well with pressure release safety cap, to release methane from natural gas into the atmosphere from the target formation 1.5 km beneath the surface.

The Ecology Action Centre is very concerned about shale gas developments and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in Nova Scotia. 

Several committees at the EAC are actively involved in this issue. The Groundwater Coordinator of the Coastal and Water Issues Committee is the lead and is chair of the Nova Scotia Fracking Resource and Action Coalition (NOFRAC).  The coalition, which comprises more than 70 members and represents more than 15 environmental and community organizations, was formed in December 2010 to share information about the risks of hydraulic fracturing and the development of shale gas in Nova Scotia, and to raise public awareness about the risks of these practices.  Please visit www.nofrac.com for more information on this coalition, and to get involved.

Although there is currently a provincial review underway, the EAC believes that a broader review must be undertaken in the form of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in combination with a moratorium until the review is complete and a decision is made on how to proceed with this controversial method of natural gas extraction.  For more information on SEAs, which are more common in the UK than in Canada, please follow this link or this one. 

The province is currently reviewing hydraulic fracturing through the energy and environment departments, and is expected to release a report on their findings in the spring of 2012.  For more information on this review, and to read updates on its progress, please visit the government's website.

More information:

Please click on the images below to view diagrams:

	Horton shale cross section, Noel area: The Horton shale is an organic rich layer of rock under some regions of the province where shale gas developments might be economical.  Note that the layer outcrops at the surface- a very different scenario from deep, horizontal layers of other shales
	Nova Scotia Petroleum Agreements: areas where companies have bid for the right to explore for oil and gas, and must apply for approvals relating to hydraulic fracturing.