Stephanie Merill, Director of Freshwater Protection, appeared in several media articles related to the province’s moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in late October and through November.
Merrill countered claims made in a report by the right-wing think tank Fraser Institute that there are no justifications for moratoriums on fracking.
She referenced the scientific review filed in October 2015 by the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission (which determined fracking had caused a 4.4 magnitude earthquake in northern B.C. last year) as just the latest piece of scientific evidence supporting the government’s decision to halt all fracking activities in New Brunswick last December.
“Our moratorium was the right policy decision at the right time,” Merrill said in an interview which ran in the Fredericton Daily Gleaner on Oct. 30 and was later reproduced in the Nov. 4 edition of the Miramichi Leader.
“The earthquakes are just another piece of evidence that it’s time to turn the page, move on from fracking and look towards other alternatives that benefit the health, environment and economic situation in the province.”
In an article in the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal on Oct. 31, Merrill said the Conservation Council wants to see the moratorium remain in place.
“People are entrenched in their opinions because this issue is so big and has a lot of potential impacts,” she said. “It’s time to turn our attention to bigger and better economic development opportunities and solutions.”
Merrill said examples include retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency, which would stimulate the economy and create jobs. The conservation council also sees opportunity in renewable energy projects for homeowners, non-profit organizations and First Nations, and would also like to see more development of wind and solar power cells.
“We want to see a lot more shiny rooftops,” she said.