NOFRAC is back: Citizens’ group wants details about onshore drilling program - Halifax Examiner

Three days before Christmas, Premier Tim Houston’s government announced it was moving ahead with onshore natural gas exploration by hiring researchers at Dalhousie University to carry out a $30 million program “to better understand the nature and location of the resource and to track and develop guidelines to ensure exploration and development are done responsibly.” The above quote is from a joint news release issued by the Nova Scotia Department of Energy and the premier’s office. The Subsurface Energy Research and Development Investment Program is being led by Graham Gagnon, Dalhousie’s acting vice-president of research and innovation. Gagnon is also tasked with setting up a public consultation process, should any exploration materialize once Dalhousie issues an open call for project proposals.  Earlier this week, a citizens’ group called the Nova Scotia Fracking Resource and Action Coalition (NOFRAC) sent Gagnon an open letter. The group was part of the public discussion from 2010-2014 that led to a legislated ban on hydraulic fracturing, which effectively ended onshore gas exploration in the province for the last decade. In March of 2025, as concerns rose over the unpredictability of the U.S. president, the Houston government lifted the ban on fracking to allow for the potential development of our own resource.  Related: N.S. partnering with Dalhousie University to kickstart drilling for onshore natural gas Hello! We hope you're enjoying our work. If you'd like to support us with a donation or recurring subscription, please use these buttons. We really appreciate it. Group asking Dal to release details NOFRAC’s letter asks Gagnon and Dalhousie University to release the full details of the recently announced agreement with the province which aims to restart onshore drilling.  “Nova Scotia’s legislated fracking ban included a process that allowed for a review of the ban through a science-based review of impacts including social, health, environmental and economic issues in order to determine whether unconventional gas development using fracking would be of net benefit to the province,” NOFRAC member Ken Summers said.  “The Houston government not only threw out that process, now they have decided to spend $30 million of taxpayer money in hopes of kickstarting an onshore, unconventional gas industry without knowing the potential risks and harms to all of us,” Summers continued. Kim Doane (left), executive director of energy resource development, Nova Scotia Department of Energy, and Graham Gagnon, acting vice-president research and innovation, Dalhousie University, during the Dec. 22, 2025 announcement. Credit: Jennifer Henderson Energy sovereignty Currently Nova Scotia depends on fracked shale gas piped in from the United States as a source of energy. Since the supply from offshore gas projects dried up, that’s been the case. The December announcement from the province included this quote from the premier: Natural gas is used to heat many homes and apartments, and we’ve seen as much as 20 per cent of Nova Scotia Power’s output fuelled by natural gas. Right now, we are forced to import all of our natural gas and ship it through the U.S. We should not pay to transport it when it is a resource we have here at home. Since early January, the Examiner has been requesting a copy of the signed agreement on subsurface energy research and development between Dalhousie University and the Department of Energy. On Jan. 19 we received this email response from Adele Poirier, senior communications advisor with the Department of Energy: The timing of the announcement was driven by the need to ensure potential applicants had clear and timely notice, and to drive awareness of the program among industry. As with many research partnerships, the formal contract is finalized following standard academic and administrative approvals. Once finalized, we will share it publicly – it’s possible there may be some sensitive information that may require sharing via FOIPOP. Approach ‘irresponsible’ “The premier’s full steam ahead approach is irresponsible,” said Jonathan Langdon, the Canada Research Chair in sustainability and social change leadership at St. Francis Xavier University and a member of the NOFRAC coalition.  “Especially as research over the last decade confirms and significantly expands our knowledge about the risks of fracking for unconventional gas to climate, clean water, health and the environment.” Summers noted that Gagnon was a member of Nova Scotia’s Independent Panel on Hydraulic Fracturing back in 2014. In the letter to Gagnon, Summers asked: You have stated to the media that there are two main questions this year-long experiment aims to answer. The first is, ‘what is the developmental potential of Nova Scotia’s onshore resource?’ The second is, ‘are people ready to accept “a sovereign energy supply”?’ It appears that this project skips over an essential question – whether development of onshore gas would be of net benefit to Nova Scotia. ‘Opportunity to create jobs’ The Examiner asked the Department of Energy whether any drilling authorizations for onshore gas have been requested since the province lifted the ban on hydraulic fracturing last March. Shortly after publication, we received the following reply from the department: Developing our sizeable onshore natural gas resource is an opportunity to create jobs for Nova Scotians, attract investments into our communities, and have a cheaper, made-in-Nova Scotia alternative to the natural gas we are currently importing. There is certainly growing interest in the industry and we are confident applications will come as companies learn more. Showing the world that we are open for business by removing the ban was an important first step, and we’ve followed up with meetings with companies and launching the Subsurface Energy Research and Development Investment Program to demonstrate how this resource can be developed safely and responsibly. December’s announcement from the province also included information about potential government funding that could cover “up to 100%” of a company’s eligible exploration costs. Jennifer Henderson Jennifer Henderson is a freelance journalist and retired CBC News reporter. More by Jennifer Henderson