According to a new report conducted by the University of Waterloo, oil and gas wells are leaking heat-trapping gases and pose a greater threat then fracking to the environment.

Maurice Dusseault, a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences explained: “Hydraulic fracturing is not the main risk. The main risk is poor well completion that can cause methane leakage.”

Further he cautious, can methane leakage render drinking water useless, or in some cases when seepage accumulates in a close space, it could explode.

“I don’t want to raise unreasonable fears. This is not a huge public health issue, but I do not agree with the widespread view in the oil and gas industry that the problem can be completely ignored – and (U.S.) President Obama agrees that methane escaping into the atmosphere is not desirable.”

Call for more oversight and safety

“The natural resources industry and government regulatory bodies are developing resources that belong to each province –that is, to you and me. They have a responsibility to act and address these concerns, not just dismiss them.”

The full report “Towards a Road Map for Mitigating the Rates and Occurrences of Long-Term Wellbore Leakage“, can be accessed here