New Zealand Herald: Govt fracking inquiry looks unlikely

Environment Minister Nick Smith does not look likely to launch the fracking investigation the Greens are calling for.

Green Party MP Gareth Hughes has called for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing or fracking, a method used for extracting oil and natural gas which is locked in rocks underground.

The practice, which has been used in Taranaki for the past 20 years, has been banned in some countries because of environmental concerns, and Mr Hughes has called for a select committee inquiry into the issue.  MORE