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Sharing a wealth of information: how regulators can improve fracking disclosure practices

Published: 19 August 2016

Both the information about fracking and the know-how abouthow best to employ it is available.Should they choose to do so, regulators can easily and cost effectively adopt disclosure practices that will benefit Canadians and their communities.

Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is a technology employed in the production of oil and gas from unconventional shale formations. The technology has become ubiquitous, with tens of thousands of fracking wells drilled worldwide over the past decade. Fracking often takes place in relatively populated areas, thus posing an array of risks to public health such as water contamination and induced seismicity. In addition to inspecting and monitoring these risks, regulators now face the challenge of keeping the public well-informed about their extent.

Joel Gehman is assistant professor of strategic management and organization in the Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta. Dror Etzion is associate professor of strategy at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management. Miron Avidan is a doctoral student at McGill University.

Article appeared on The Hill Times, August 15, 2016 

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