The Maritimes steps up to freeze fracking

Pressure growing for a federal fracking freeze
Earlier this month, Newfoundland and Labrador put the brakes on fracking – and the Council of Canadians is calling on other provinces and territories to do the same.
Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Natural Resources Derrick Dalley said that the government would not be "accepting applications for onshore and onshore to offshore petroleum exploration using hydraulic fracturing."
Opposition to fracking – a process that contaminates massive amounts of water to extract natural gas from underground rock formations – has been growing in Newfoundland and Labrador following proposals for exploration in three sites along the west coast of the province. The possibility of fracking in Gros Morne National Park received international attention when UNESCO raised concerns about how it would affect the area and its World Heritage Site status.
Communities in Nova Scotia are also speaking out about fracking. The Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities recently passed a resolution supporting a province-wide ban on the practice.
"From coast to coast, communities are calling for a stop to fracking. We're relieved to see that the Newfoundland and Labrador government is taking a common-sense approach by reviewing regulations, conducting impact studies and engaging the public before moving ahead," said Emma Lui, National Water Campaigner for the Council of Canadians, following the government's announcement. "Now that fracking is on hold in Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, it's time for other provinces and the federal government to do the same."
Read more about fracking in the latest issue of Canadian Perspectives.
Listen to Josh Fox, director of Gasland and Gasland II, speak about fracking at our recent Groundswell: Grassroots Power in the Age of Extreme Energy conference in Saskatoon.