FRACKQUAKES: Vicki Anderson interviews American geophysicist Michael Hastings on whether fracking causes earthquakes.
The Government has rejected the Christchurch City Council's call for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in Canterbury.
Last month Mayor Bob Parker wrote to the Minister of Energy and Resources, Phil Heatley, asking for a moratorium on the controversial mining process after widespread community concerns.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has been banned in some countries, with the process linked to earthquakes and water and air pollution.
It is a method by which gas and oil are obtained by drilling into open rock deep in the earth and then forcing large amounts of water, sand and, typically, a cocktail of chemicals at high pressure down into the shale.
A blast fractures the shale bed around the well. That lets natural gas and oil deposits flow freely to the surface, but can also allow the chemicals to enter the water table.
Heatley's response states: "I appreciate that people have concerns about the potential adverse effects of hydraulic fracturing or fracking. The two environmental effects that people appear to be most concerned about are the potential for induced seismicity and groundwater contamination...
"I am satisfied that hydraulic fracturing is an appropriately regulated activity in New Zealand and I am not aware of any reason to justify a moratorium on the activity because of either environmental damage or the risk of inducing earthquakes."
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