On September 3rd, 2014 Nova Scotia Energy Minister Andrew Younger announced that the Liberal Government will be introducing a ban on hydraulic fracturing in the coming fall session of the legislature. Until then, the moratorium of 2010, set by the previous NDP government, will stand. The ban will not be made permanent and will have no time limit set on it. In an interview with CBC, Younger explained that the lack of a time limit demonstrates the government’s willingness to reopen the debate if a community were to express interest in hydraulic fracturing. However, he cites the vast public opposition to fracking as one of the main reasons for the ban, and considers it unlikely that public opinion will change in the near future.

The other main reason Younger gave for the ban on fracking was the multiple studies done on the subject, the most recent and extensive being the final report of the Nova Scotia Independent Review Panel on Hydraulic Fracturing, which spent the last six-months examining the issue. The panel was headed by David Wheeler, the president of Cape Breton University. The panel’s 376 page report gives three ‘Top Level’ recommendations:

1. That hydraulic fracturing should not proceed at the present time in Nova Scotia
2. It calls for “independently conducted research of a scientific and public participatory nature” to look at the impacts of all types of energy production
3. That “community permission to proceed” should be sought and recognized before hydraulic fracturing is explored as an option for developing unconventional gas and oil resources.

The report also has thirty ‘Contingent Specific’ recommendations, dealing with issues such as Environmental Risk Reduction, Liabilities of Developers and Aboriginal Engagement. The Mi’kmaq Aboriginal community in Nova Scotia is emphasized in the report, and one of its eleven chapters is dedicated to examining Treaty and Statutory rights of the Aboriginal people. Though its conclusion is that fracking should not be pursued in Nova Scotia at this time, the report estimates that hydraulic fracking could bring around $150 million per year in royalties and create as many as 1500 jobs, according to the lower-medium case scenarios.

Although both Younger and the Independent Review Panel cite the widespread opposition of the Nova Scotian people to hydraulic fracking, around 40 percent of Nova Scotians polled indicated that they would support hydraulic fracking if there were “stringent regulations.” The outright banning of fracking has been heavily criticised as unnecessary and short-sighted by energy industry spokesmen as well as Finance Minister Joe Oliver.