An investigation by the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission has confirmed that not only does fracking threaten our air and water, but also the very ground beneath our feet.
This week the commission released the results of its investigation into a 4.6-magnitude earthquake in British Columbia on Aug. 17, 2015. The commission determined the earthquake was caused by the injection of fluid from hydraulic fracturing operations in the area — making it the largest quake linked to the industry in the province.
The earthquake’s epicentre was 114-km outside of Fort St. John. It did not cause any danger to people or the environment.
Progress Energy (TSX: PGE) under Petronas, a Malaysian company, has a fracking operation in the region. The company is taking responsibility and continuing monitoring of the site from its 17 monitoring stations. Dr. Cherry, respected hydrogeologist and Chair of the 2014 Council of Canadian Academies which produced the report, Environmental Impacts of Shale Gas Extraction in Canada, has noted the posed risk of increased seismic activity from proposed fracking activity in New Brunswick.