A shale gas rig in Lancashire, UK. (Credit: Flickr @ JustinWoolford https://www.flickr.com/photos/justinwoolford/)A new report by the Council of Canadian Academies, “Environmental Impacts of Shale Gas Extraction in Canada,” concludes that shale gas development must be supported by well-targeted science and management strategies to understand and mitigate potential impacts.
According to the report, shale gas is being produced in large volumes in the United States, and will likely be developed in coming years on every continent except Antarctica. Depending on factors such as future natural gas prices and government regulations, further development of Canadian shale gas resources could potentially span many decades and involve the drilling of tens of thousands of hydraulically fractured horizontal wells.
This development is changing long-held expectations about oil and gas resource availability; several observers have characterized it as a game changer. Abundant, close to major markets, and relatively inexpensive to produce, shale gas represents a major new source of fossil energy. However, the rapid expansion of shale gas development in Canada over the past decade has occurred without a corresponding investment in monitoring and research addressing the impacts on the environment, public health, and communities. The primary concerns are the degradation of the quality of groundwater and surface water (including the safe disposal of large volumes of wastewater); the risk of increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (including fugitive methane emissions during and after production), thus exacerbating anthropogenic climate change; disruptive effects on communities and land; and adverse effects on human health. Other concerns include the local release of air contaminants and the potential for triggering small- to moderate-sized earthquakes in seismically active areas.
Although the technologies and techniques used in shale gas extraction are understood, more research and information is needed on the potential environmental impacts that could result from this process.
In Canada, shale gas development has moved forward in British Columbia and Alberta while potential development is still being explored in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Unlike the United States, Canadian development has moved at a slower pace. This slower pace of development presents a unique opportunity for Canada to take the time to explore and determine the proper management practices to develop its shale gas resources responsibly.
“For Canada, regional context matters. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work to address the various potential environmental impacts that may exist across Canada’s diverse regions,” said Elizabeth Dowdeswell, President of the Council of Canadian Academies. “As such, communities and decision-makers will need to consider potential environmental impacts within their own contexts and decision-making processes.”
Overall, the report found that well-targeted science is required to ensure a better understanding of the environmental impacts of shale gas development. Currently, data about environmental impacts are neither sufficient nor conclusive. The report also addresses the importance of baseline and ongoing monitoring, and the need for research and data-gathering.
