Shabangu: gas exploration to stop if it threatens Karoo water table or SKA project

According to Allafrica.com, Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu said the government will stop the exploration of shale gas in South Africa's Karoo region if it is found that hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" poses any risk to the water table or to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope project.

She pointed out that the findings of the government's investigation of the environmental and social effects of "fracking" in the Karoo Basin laid down conditions that could lead to the exploration process being halted.

"We are a water-scarce country," Shabangu said. "If the process is such that there is a threat to water in South Africa, we would have to stop the process ... if there is going to be an extremely negative impact on [the SKA] and they cannot mitigate it, we may need to stop the process." Last week the Cabinet approved the lifting of a moratorium imposed on fracking exploration in February last year, allowing licences for the exploration of shale gas in the country to be issued under certain circumstances. Allafrica.com reports that Shabangu said that a monitoring committee will be constituted to supervise fracking operations.

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