News from Ontario’s New Democratic Party
QUEEN’S PARK, March 25th, 2015— MPP Peter Tabuns, the Ontario NDP Environment and Climate Change critic, will introduced a bill this March 25th to ban fracking in Ontario. Quebec, New York state, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick already have similar bans.
“There is no need for Ontario to risk environmental damage and lawsuits by leaving the door open for this controversial business. Let’s learn from the hard experiences of others and act now,” said Tabuns, MPP for Toronto-Danforth.
While no licences have been issued in Ontario for fracking (High volume hydraulic fracking) to produce oil and gas from shale, there are rumours of interest on the part of gas developers to explore for, and potentially to exploit, shale gas in Ontario.
A review of health and environmental studies in Quebec and New York show that there are substantial local risks from fracking related to contamination of ground water supplies and air pollution, amongst other concerns. Dr. Howard Zucker, MD, Acting Commissioner of Health for New York State said that fracking should not proceed.
The Quebec study also raised concerns about the release of acrid odours, along with disruptive noise that could disturb people up to 4 kilometres from the work site. The study also noted that substantial shale gas development could increase greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec by up to 23 percent largely from methane leaks from exploration, working wells and from leaks long after the well was closed.
Ontario needs to take strong action to protect its water and its climate. As global warming will make Ontario a much drier place, protection of water supplies will become more vital for agriculture, human consumption and business.
“I call on the government to support and pass this bill which will be debated in April. The Premier has made it clear that climate change demands urgent action, she has a chance to avoid a significant new source of greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario and hopefully will take it,” said Tabuns.
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Niagara At Large 
“Acrid odours & disruptive noise” are the least worrisome side effects of fracking. I suggest watching the documentary “Gasland”. People can ignite the water out of their taps with a match. Special cameras show escaping pollutants from the wells. Farm animals are born deformed. The aquifers are polluted & the water undrinkable even for animals. People have to buy every drop of water for cooking & consumption even for their pets. They can’t live on their toxic property but can’t sell it either because nobody will but it. Meanwhile some pretty face in a clean white coat & hard hat, in ads paid for by the gas producers, tells us how we will rule the world in gas resources & how clean & safe it all is….complete BS. Fracking also has been proven to produce multiple earthquakes in places where they were unheard of previously. If something is removed from the ground, nature abhorring a vacuum, adjusts itself. Add to all this the unavoidable fact that we must turn to natural & renewable, non fossil fuels resources & we have to question why any sane person would promote fracking. Oh….money. Silly moi!
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