During an interview with Mayor Brad Woodside today on his re-offer for Mayor, we discussed shale gas. He said the City'a Public Safety & Environment Committee was meeting at noon, and planned to discuss Woodside's recommendation that the city ban shale gas fracking within municipal boundaries. Woodside hopes the committee will bring it to council for a vote.
This represents significant movement by the City on the issue, because up until now, it was simply Woodside's statement there would be no shale gas fracking in the city dictating policy. A ban wasn't discussed. Now it seems, like other municipalities around the province, the City is going to put something more binding in place to protect Fredericton's water from potential problems often reported about the shale gas industry.
Helping the City with it's decision on whether to ban shale gas was a presentation at today's meeting by local citizen and anti-shale gas proponent Mark D'Arcy, who's been lobbying the City for a ban for several months.
The meeting concluded at 1 pm. The Purple Violet Press is working to find out the details of the meeting and whether a shale gas ban in Fredericton will be declared soon by City Council.
