New Brunswick officials have unveiled tougher natural gas regulations in the emerging Frederick Brook Shale, but said they would not implement a ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Meanwhile the federal government in Ottawa announced it is keeping a close eye on how the provinces handle fracking and was prepared to intervene if necessary.

New Brunswick’s Natural Gas Steering Committee, which includes the ministers and deputy ministers of the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources departments, unveiled three new regulations before Thursday’s Natural Gas Forum in Fredericton, NB.

“The possible expansion of the natural gas industry is a great opportunity for our province in terms of potential jobs and other economic benefits,” said Natural Resources Minister Bruce Northrup, who chairs the committee. “If this industry is to take root and grow, we are going to ensure it is done in a careful and responsible manner that benefits all New Brunswickers.”

The new regulations will require companies to perform baseline testing on all potable water wells within 200 meters (656 feet) of seismic testing and 500 meters (1,640 feet) of drilling sites before operations can begin. The province said these minimum requirements may be increased in certain situations.

Companies will also be required to disclose the chemical composition of all fracking fluids and establish security bonds for their operations.

New Brunswick Premier David Alward told reporters last Wednesday that the province would not ban fracking, repeating Northrup’s position from March (see NGI, March 14). Environmental groups began pressing New Brunswick officials for a moratorium on fracking after neighboring Quebec said it would conduct a two-year environmental assessment on shale gas. Quebec is allowing fracking to continue on a limited basis.

Canada’s environment minister, Peter Kent, told lawmakers in the House of Commons that although the regulation of shale gas is mainly a provincial and territorial responsibility, the federal government was prepared to intervene if it thought those governments weren’t doing enough to safely regulate fracking.

“The principle responsibility [for regulating fracking] rests with the provinces and the territories,” Kent said on June 16. “The federal government has an interest and can involve itself when a threat is perceived and reported. Where required, we will intervene.”

Tom Huffaker, vice president for policy and environmental issues with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, told NGI that Kent’s comments noted the sharing of responsibilities between the federal and provincial governments.

“Resource ownership rests with the provinces,” Huffaker said last Tuesday. “This includes the regulation of shale gas, which is mainly a provincial responsibility. [Meanwhile] the federal government regulates hazardous chemicals under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.”

David Coon, executive director for the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, told NGI that he did not expect the federal government to perform its own fracking study.

“They didn’t suggest they were going to do a study,” Coon said last Tuesday. “They didn’t suggest much. The jurisdiction of the federal government is pretty narrow on this issue. It would relate only really to the handling and fate of any toxic chemicals that might be used [in fracking].”

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