DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIES POLICY DEPARTMENT A: ECONOM IC AND SCIENTIFIC POLICY WORKSHOP Impact of Shale Gas and Shale Oil Extraction on the Environment and on Human Health Brussels, 28 February 2012 PROCEEDINGS Abstract Within the current debate on unconvent ional gas and oil resources in Europe, the European Parliament organised a wo rkshop to discuss the impacts of shale gas and shale oil extraction on the envi ronment and on human health, ways of mitigating them and the a ppropriateness of the current EU legislative framework in the context of the future developments in this field. IP/A/ENVI/WS/2012-01 March 2012 PE 475.097 EN ________ ________ This document was requested by the Europe an Parliament's Commi ttee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety CONTRIBUTING EXPERTS Mr Didier Bonijoly, Bureau de Recher ches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM) Mr Robert B. Jackso n, Duke University Ms Paulina Jaramillo, Carnegie Mellon University Mr Tomasz Maj, Talisman Energy Polska Mr John Broderick, Tyndall Cent re, University of Manchester Mr Louis D'Amico, Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association Ms Carina Vopel, DG ENV, European Commission Mr Piotr Otawski, Polish Mi nistry of the Environment Mr Mark Johnston, WWF SUMMARY PREPARED BY Mr Arkaitz Usubiaga, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATOR Mr Lorenzo Vicario Policy Department Economic and Scientific Policy European Parliament B-1047 Brussels E-mail: [email protected] LINGUISTIC VERSIONS Original: EN ABOUT THE EDITOR To contact the Policy Department or to su bscribe to its newsletter please write to: [email protected] Manuscript completed in March 2012. Brussels, © European Union, 2012. This document is available on the Internet at: http://www.europarl .europa.eu/studies DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent th e official position of the European Parliament. Reproduction and translation for non-commerc ial purposes are auth orised, provided the source is acknowledged and the publisher is given prior notice and sent a copy. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Workshop on the Impact of Shale Gas and Shale Oil Extraction on the Environment and on Human Health CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 5 2. MAIN IMPACTS OF THE EXTRACTION OF SHALE GAS AND SHALE OIL ON THE ENVIRONMENT 6 2.1. Geological impact 6 2.2. Impact on waters (groundwater and surface water) 7 2.3. GHG emissions 7 3. MITIGATION OF IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT 8