New Brunswick appoints commission to study conditions on fracking

FREDERICTON – A former chief justice and two academics have been appointed to a commission in New Brunswick to determine whether government-placed conditions can be met before a moratorium on shale gas fracking can be lifted.

Former chief justice Guy Richard, former University of New Brunswick president John McLaughlin and Cheryl Robertson, a former board chairwoman at the New Brunswick Community College, have been given up to a year to complete their work.

Energy Minister Donald Arseneault says the moratorium won’t be lifted until the government’s five conditions can be met.

Related: Petroleum producers call on New Brunswick to hold off on fracking moratorium

Those conditions include a plan for regulations, waste water disposal, a process to consult First Nations, a royalty structure and a so-called social licence.

Arseneault (pictured right) says the government can’t define what a social licence is, so it is asking the commission to do that.

Related: New Brunswick government introducing moratorium on hydraulic fracturing

Previous studies on shale gas development have been launched in New Brunswick, including one released in October 2012 that rejected a moratorium on fracking and called for a phased-in approach.

Arseneault says the commission will be assigned a budget but did not say how much that was when asked by reporters.

ICYMI: #NB fracking commission appointed http://t.co/Nrd7RortBT #nbpoli

— Global New Brunswick (@Global_NB) March 24, 2015

Fracking commission appointed to study shale gas conditions: The New Brunswick government has appointed a… http://t.co/y1369eNOTl

— New Brunswick Now (@NewBrunswickNow) March 24, 2015