Fracking hell, Vermont bans controversial practice, but Alberta still gung-ho

Fracking hell, Vermont bans controversial practice, but Alberta still gung-ho by Suzy Thompson, May 24, 2012, Fast Foward Weekly
Vermont has become the first state to order a ban on hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as fracking. When Vermont governor Peter Shumlin signed the state-wide prohibition into law on May 16, he said: “This bill will ensure we do not inject chemicals into groundwater in a desperate pursuit for energy. It is a big moment. I hope other states will follow us. The science on fracking is uncertain at best. Let the other states be the guinea pigs. Let the Green Mountain State preserve its clean water, its lakes, its rivers and its quality of life.” … “Industry claims that there are no known cases of water contamination, but it is because the government has failed to do testing of water sources before and after the fracking process,” says Lui. “A clear problem with Alberta’s regulations is that oil and gas wells are exempted from an individual environmental assessment process,” she says. “Jessica Ernst, a landowner in Rosebud, Alberta, claims that fracking has contaminated her well water, and provincial regulators have failed to investigate and enforce their processes.”