Quebec oil, gas opponents prepare to fight new regulations

Opponents of oil and gas development in Quebec say they’re prepared to ramp up their fight amid expectations the province could release new regulations on resource extraction in the coming weeks.

At the end of last year, the Quebec government passed legislation to enable production of oil and natural gas.

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In May, Natural Resources Minister Pierre Arcand said rules governing that activity would be released a month later and since then, both industry and opponents have been eagerly waiting for them.

Carole Dupuis of the Regroupement Vigilance Hydrocarbures Québec (RVHQ), which opposes oil and gas development, says her group will take their battle to communities in an effort to prevent an energy industry from taking off in the province.

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“If our politicians aren’t there to defend us, the public will defend itself,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If our politicians aren't there to defend us, the public will defend itself," she said.

Patrick Bonin, a climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace, says the push towards fossil fuel development runs counter to Quebec’s global commitment to combat greenhouse gas emissions.