Hydraulic fracturing,

more commonly known as “fracking,” is a technique to extract natural gas from harder to access unconventional sources trapped in rock formations such as shale gas, coal bed methane and tight gas. Millions of litres of water and thousands of litres of chemicals are injected underground at very high pressure in order to create fractures in the rock allowing gas to flow up the well. Fracking for unconventional natural gas is expanding across Canada. But with the release of the award-winning documentary Gasland, high profile campaigns, and nearly daily media reports, the negative impacts of fracking are also being put in the spotlight. Industry representatives are responding with their spin to counter growing public concern. While there is often a kernel of truth in what industry representatives say, there are real experiences and additional facts to keep in mind.

Read More