Europe Rejects Proposal to Ban Hydraulic Fracking

Europe Rejects Proposal to Ban Hydraulic Fracking by Daniel J. Graeber, November 21, 2012, Oil Price
A proposal to ban new hydraulic fracturing operations in the European Union was rejected by members of the European Parliament. … Many of the shale deposits in Europe are much deeper, and more expensive, to exploit than those in the United States. With the European Union looking to break Russia’s grip on the natural gas sector, however, some member states are moving forward.

A Swedish lawmaker was among those MEPs advocating a ban on hydraulic fracturing. Apart from the rare tremor, chemicals used during the extraction process could migrate out of processing areas into drinking water supplies and potentially “destroy the future of mankind.”

A resolution said each member state has the right to make its own determinations on shale exploration. Any decision to do so, however, needs to be complemented by “robust regulatory regimes.” Energy companies need to recycle as much of the water used as possible and provide detailed information on the chemicals incorporated into fracking fluid. Companies, meanwhile, are expected to pick up the tab on the infrastructure needed to usher in a European shale boom. [Emphasis added]

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