Plans by Royal Dutch Shell to exploit shale gas deposits in South Africa's dry Karoo region aren't going unnoticed by farmers who fear extraction will impact their way of life.
A few of those farmers are taking legal action, Reuters is reporting, to ensure hydraulic fracturing doesn't taint the Karoo's underground water in the search for resources.
“We are very concerned about the environmental impact, especially because fracking is not regulated in South Africa,” lawyer Derek Light, who represents several Karoo land owners and other parties, told Reuters today.
Shell said the company has held public consultations and are developing an environmental plan. Still, the company said the need for fracturing is likely.
“Fracking is the best method to extract gas that is trapped in shale,” Shell Africa's vice-president of communications, Phaldie Kalam, told Reuters.
A moratorium has been instituted on new exploration and production in the Karoo, although current applications won't be affected, according to the report.
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