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rfmcdonaldCBC News' Benjamin Shingler looks at new environmental threats to Québec's Anticosti Island.
Plans to drill for oil and gas on an island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has made Premier Philippe Couillard the target of environmentalists, with one group calling his decision to go ahead with the project "illogical and unacceptable."
Couillard has repeatedly said he's bound by an agreement signed by the previous Parti Québécois government to allow for testing in Anticosti, a rocky, 200-kilometre stretch of land known for its salmon fishing.
The deal with Quebec City-based Petrolia Inc. was inked shortly before the 2014 election.
The exploratory drilling involves fracking, a controversial practice where a mixture is pumped deep underground in order to crack rocks and release natural gas, which risks affecting the water table.
In a statement, Petrolia said Wednesday it's committed to working with Anticosti residents and being completely transparent about its plans.
The province's Environment Ministry confirmed this week that Petrolia will be allowed to draw a total of 30 million litres of water at three testing sites.
Most of that water will be drawn from rivers on the island, which could put local endangered salmon populations at risk, Montreal's Le Devoir newspaper reported.
