A new poll shows that the majority of Canadians oppose the natural gas drilling technique of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking.

The Council of Canadians-commissioned Environics Research poll found that 62% of Canadians support “a moratorium on all fracking for natural gas until all the federal environmental reviews are complete”.

“Communities across Canada are saying ‘no’ to fracking projects. It’s time for the federal government to listen and ban the practice,” says Maude Barlow, national chairperson, Council of Canadians. “At the very least there needs to be a moratorium to provide time for a federal review the serious consequences of fracking.”

“The Council of Canadians opposes fracking because of its high water use, its high greenhouse gas emissions, its impacts on human health, the disruption it causes to wildlife, and the danger it poses to groundwater and local drinking water,” says Emma Lui, water campaigner, Council of Canadians. “The recent announcement of voluntary ‘guiding principles’ confirms the fracking industry is worried about the growing opposition. But these voluntary guidelines set by industry are classic greenwashing.”

“Communities across Canada are saying ‘no’ to fracking projects. It’s time for the federal government to listen and ban the practice,” says Maude Barlow.

The poll found the province with the highest support for a moratorium on fracking in British Columbia, with 67% of people supporting a moratorium, while the lowest percentage was in Quebec at 55%.

The Council of Canadians states that

There is currently no federal legislation on fracking. Regulations on water and drilling permits vary from province to province. Oil and gas wells are exempt from the National Pollutant Release Inventory. Environment Canada reviewed chemicals used in the process in Quebec and the US and found that approximately half did not meet the Chemicals Management Plan criteria for further investigation.