The rules would be in favour of the oil and gas industry

Anne Caroline Desplanques

Monday, December 11, 2017 22:48

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Monday, December 11, 2017 22:48

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The regulations on drilling oil and gas that wants to adopt the government are among the least stringent in North America, according to a study conducted by a group of lawyers specialising in the environment.

These rules stipulate that it be allowed for oil and gas companies to drill 150 m from the houses, while in New Brunswick the standard is 250 m. They also provide for a minimum distance of 150 m between a well and a school, while in British Columbia the standard is 1 km.

This is what is stated by the quebec Centre for environmental law (CQDE), a grouping of lawyers, in the memory that he will make public on Tuesday.

The CQDE has sent this analysis to Quebec city on Friday, the last day of the public consultation on four draft regulations on the exploitation of fossil fuels that need to be adopted soon.

Upon the filing of these draft regulations in September, the minister of natural Resources of the time, Pierre Arcand, said that they were “more strict” in North America.

For the industry

But for Me Karine Peloffy, director-general of the CQDE, Quebec is rather inspired of Alberta, ” where the rules have been developed to the trailer of the installation of the industry “.

“It is tailor-made for the industry,” says Patrick Bonin of Greenpeace.

According to him, the regulations have been dictated to allow some projects, one of Pétrolia in the Gaspé peninsula, where the company has referred to the possibility of fracturing at 350 m from the houses, while the local elected officials oppose it.

“The places that have done a reflection exercise rigorous have instead opted to ban fracking “, said Me Peloffy.

This is the case in the States of New York and Vermont, and a moratorium is in place in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.

In addition, the regulations proposed by the government are in line with the law on water, according to the CQDE, because they would, in particular, to the companies to do hydraulic fracturing within 400 m of the aquifers.

Yet, in 2014, the Office of public hearings on the environment had indicated that the chemicals injected at high pressure into the rock, during a hydraulic fracturing operation can disperse up to 600 m, contaminating the groundwater on their passage.