Position statement on protection of environmental rights in decisions around fracking for shale gas

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) calls for the publication of an expert task team report and the holding of public hearings before the Minister of Mineral Resources decides on shale gas fracking licences in the Karoo. The CER criticizes the current process for its secrecy, the refusal of access to information requests by the Department of Mineral Resources and the Department of Environmental Affairs, and the exclusion of vulnerable communities. The CER opposes any fracking technology that contaminates aquifers, introduces pollutants, increases carbon-intensive energy dependence, or hinders South Africa's carbon emissions targets. They demand a 90-day moratorium and public consultation period following the report's release, and insist that any future authorizations include stringent regulation under the National Environmental Management Act and the National Water Act.

• The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) opposes shale gas fracking technologies that cause long-term contamination of surface aquifers, introduce persistent organic and metallic pollutants into food chains and sensitive environments, increase reliance on carbon-intensive energy, or compromise South Africa's carbon emissions targets.
• The CER asserts that the decision-making process for fracking in the Karoo has lacked transparency, citing the secrecy of the expert task team's identity and the refusal of the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) to grant access to information requests.
• Disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in the Karoo have been largely excluded from the decision-making process, and the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) failed to acknowledge CER's reports on the need for urgent additional consultation with these groups.
• The CER demands that the Minister of Mineral Resources publish the expert task team report and all related minutes, and implement a 90-day moratorium to allow for public hearings and expert submissions.

APA

Melissa (2012). Position statement on protection of environmental rights in decisions around fracking for shale gas. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/news/position-statement-on-protection-of-environmental-rights-in-decisions-around-fracking-for-shale-gas

Chicago

Melissa. Position statement on protection of environmental rights in decisions around fracking for shale gas. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2012. https://cer.org.za/news/position-statement-on-protection-of-environmental-rights-in-decisions-around-fracking-for-shale-gas.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Melissa |title=Position statement on protection of environmental rights in decisions around fracking for shale gas |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=13 August 2012 |url=https://cer.org.za/news/position-statement-on-protection-of-environmental-rights-in-decisions-around-fracking-for-shale-gas |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{melissa2012position, author = {Melissa}, title = {{Position statement on protection of environmental rights in decisions around fracking for shale gas}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2012}, month = aug, url = {https://cer.org.za/news/position-statement-on-protection-of-environmental-rights-in-decisions-around-fracking-for-shale-gas}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }