Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Canadians Concerned About How Fracking, Pipelines Could Affect Their Water
Winnipeg
– According to a new
national survey conducted by Probe Research Inc., significant proportions of
Canadian adults are very or somewhat worried about the potential impact oil and
gas industry activities may have on their community’s source of drinking water.
Slightly more than one-half of Canadian adults
(53%) are very or somewhat concerned about the impact that hydraulic
fracturing, or “fracking” may have on their drinking water. A similar
proportion (47%) expressed similar worries about the effects of crude oil
carried by pipelines.
This survey of 2,023 Canadian adults also found
that those living in the areas most likely to be affected by fracking have
polarized views on this method of extracting oil and natural gas. Residents of
Quebec and Atlantic Canada, for instance, were more likely than other Canadians
to express high levels of concern about what fracking could do to their
drinking water (58% each were very or somewhat concerned). But at the other end
of the country, Albertans were among those least likely to worry about the
impact of fracking on their drinking water (only 44% concerned).
Similarly,
Quebec residents are among those most concerned about what crude oil carried by
pipelines may do to ground or surface water (55%) whereas those living in
Alberta were among those least likely to worry about the possibility of a
pipeline leak contaminating the area’s drinking water (34% concerned).
