Canada says no to fracking, critics say

OTTAWA, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Most Canadians asked told an advocacy group opposing shale natural gas development they aren't in favor of the extraction method known as fracking.

A poll conducted by Environics Research for the Council of Canadians, an anti-fracking group, indicated 62 percent of respondents said they supported an outright ban on fracking "until all the federal environmental reviews are complete."

Critics of fracking say some chemicals in the fluid used during the gas extraction process are harmful to the environment. The Council of Canadians said the fluid contains a portion of "unidentified chemicals," though material safety data sheets from U.S. companies list ethylene glycol as a main chemical ingredient.

Council Chairwoman Maude Barlow said information gleaned from those taking part in the survey suggest it's time for the government to ban fracking.

"At the very least there needs to be a moratorium to provide time for a federal review the serious consequences of fracking," she said in a statement.

Environics Research conducted the telephone survey of 2,000 adults in early January. The margin of error is 2.1 percentage points. The Calgary Herald reports that the questions in the survey were designed to elicit a response in favor of the Council of Canadians' position on shale gas.