With concerns mounting in North America and parts of Europe regarding the controversial use of hydraulic fracturing in natural gas extraction, a U.S. federal agency has announced a series of public forums to discuss the technique.
The US Bureau of Land Management said Monday it would hold the forums in late April to ensure that oil and gas development on federal lands is taking place in a responsible and environmentally sustainable manner.
This comes as several jurisdictions are rethinking the use of so-called fracking until more is known about its effect on the environment.
In March, Quebec put a stop to all fracking operations—which involve forcing copious amounts of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure into shale gas deposits to fracture the rock and release the gas—until an environmental evaluation is completed.
Several U.S. jurisdictions and states have imposed moratoriums or outright bans on fracking until studies can be carried out on its environmental impact. France has also halted its use over concerns that not enough is known about the long-term effects of the extraction method on air and water supplies.