Newfoundland and Labrador Hydraulic Fracturing Review Panel releases final report

ST. JOHN'S, May 31, 2016 /CNW/ - The Newfoundland and Labrador Hydraulic Fracturing Review Panel has issued its Final Report in reference to hydraulic fracturing in Western Newfoundland.

The independent panel was appointed by the Minister of Natural Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, in October 2014 to conduct a public review and to advise the Minister of Natural Resources on the socio-economic and environmental implications of the hydraulic fracturing process with respect to the possible exploration and development of the petroleum resources of Western Newfoundland.

The Panel unanimously recommends that a number of gaps and deficiencies must be addressed before the necessary conditions could exist that would allow for hydraulic fracturing, as an all-inclusive industrial process, to proceed reasonably and responsibly in Western Newfoundland. The Panel believes that, at this point, the "pause" in accepting applications involving hydraulic fracturing in Western Newfoundland should remain in effect while the fundamental gaps and deficiencies are addressed.

The Panel makes 85 supplementary recommendations that constitute a staged, cautious, and evidence-based approach to understanding the opportunities and challenges of unconventional oil and gas development in Western Newfoundland. Furthermore, implementation of these recommendations should allow for a better-informed decision with respect to whether hydraulic fracturing operations should be permitted in the future.

The report can be viewed online at http://nlhfrp.ca/.

SOURCE NL Hydraulic Fracturing Review Panel

Media contact: Dr. Ray Gosine, Chair, Hydraulic Fracturing Review Panel c/o Office of Associate Vice-President (Research), Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation, Room IIC-3067, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]