Shale gas rules and regulations

This article will be discussing the rules and regulation of shale gas. There are going to be four major topics that surround the issues of the rules and regulations regarding shale gas. Safeguards and loopholes, environmental assessments, monitoring and mitigating, and Canadian deregulation and international governance. These four issues will be the main focus of the article
Safeguards and loopholes
Environmental assessments
Monitoring and mitigating
Monitoring and mitigating of shale gas is referring to making sure that there is no potential danger to the environment. There are several problems that can occur when focusing on shale gas (fracking). Air, land and water resource are usually the main issues when it comes to fracking and Shale Gas.
Air
NETL (National Energy Technology Laboratory) will monitor ambient air quality at the Washington County site using a mobile air quality monitoring laboratory. NETL also will conduct targeted on-site measurements of air emissions during well development and production activities and use collected data in atmospheric chemistry and transport models to further understanding of local and regional air quality impacts.
Completed - Almost eight months of pre-development air quality data were acquired at this location before the air monitoring laboratory was moved to the Greene County site in March 2012.
Water resources
Monitoring ground water is a major concern, there are many individuals that are clamming that their water is being contaminated from chemicals that are coming from hydraulic fracturing. A frequently expressed concern about shale gas development is that subsurface hydraulic fracturing operations in deep shale formations might create fractures that extend well beyond the target formation to water aquifers, allowing methane, contaminants naturally occurring in formation water, and fracturing fluids to migrate from the target formation into drinking water supplies.
Protecting water
Regulation of the Canadian oil and gas sector is designed to protect drinking water and water quality in our lakes and streams. The specific regulations vary between jurisdictions but in all cases, Canadian natural gas production always isolates and protects drinking water (groundwater) from natural gas operations.
In Alberta for example, regulation requires that natural gas development provide an extensive barrier (both vertically and laterally) between any shallow stimulation interval and existing water wells, in addition to isolating the aquifer and the fractured zone. Alberta has also increased the focus on water well education and standards in oil and gas producing areas.
Phased EIA registration
* location of proposed drill targets;
* description existing environment within the drill target areas including environmental constraints (wetlands, watercourses, wildlife resources and habitat), location of sensitive areas and additional proposed exploration activities;
* details about the construction and operation of the well pads, access roads and associated infrastructure;
* details associated with drilling activities;
* details regarding waste management;
* process and potable water requirements and water sources;
* material handling and shipping;
* sewage treatment facilities;
* Any past, current, or future projects or activities in the project area whose effects may interact with those of the project under review; commercial extraction, pipelines, gas processing or well decommissioning;
* and any other applicable details/aspects of the project as the project develops.<ref name=gnb />
Canadian deregulations and international governance

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