Bârlad protests against shale gas extraction

Over five thousand people protested Thursday night at Bârlad.

The protesters demanded blocking the project which provides gas extraction in the south part of Vaslui County, by a method that they consider dangerous.

At the protest attended people from all social categories and all ages, from students and priests to employees in factories and local government representatives.

Gathered in the city center, protesters chanted against the American company that would exploit shale gas in the southern county of Vaslui, by hydraulic fracture method, considered by protesters a danger for the environmentand therefore the population.

By this method is injected into the soil, under high pressure, water mixed with sand and chemicals, into shale formations, at a depth of about 6 km.

According to environmentalists, this method destroys groundwater and can cause even minor earthquakes.

Moreover, hydraulic fracture method is banned in countries like France and Bulgaria.
American companies that were to be operate in our country had been withdrawn the authorization for drilling in Bulgaria, over the Danube neighbours, saying that they did not have adequate data to ensure environmental protection.

Moreover, the Sofia government prepares a law to ban entirely this type of drilling.
Recently, President Traian Basescu spoke, within a speech in Parliament, about the economic potential of shale gas exploitation.

Translated by Ioana Vioreanu
MTTLC, Bucharest University