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New Brunswick bans fracking, Ontario balks

The fracking ban Liberals promised New Brunswick voters last September has just been ushered in by the new government. Quebec, Nova Scotia and New York State have similar bans. Meanwhile, Ontario has shot down the idea of following suit.

NDP enviro critic Peter Tabuns introduced a private member’s bill last week that would ban fracking here. But Natural Resources Minister Bill Mauro quickly responded, “Ontario won’t be going forward with a moratorium,” adding that the province is reviewing its rules (actually, it has been since early 2013) and that his ministry has received no fracking applications.

For its part, New Brunswick has pledged that its moratorium on the practice – which involves high-pressure blasting with water, sand and chemicals to fracture shale rock for gas – can’t be lifted until five conditions are met. Those include widespread public approval, consulting First Nations, and “clear and credible” information about the potential effects of fracking. A commission has been appointed to study those effects. Critics note that the ban still permits exploring with seismic testing or well-drilling by shale gas companies. 

ecoholic@nowtoronto.com | @ecoholicnation

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