The use of hydraulic fracturing has been removed from the environmental assessment of two more exploration wells near Eagle Plains.

Northern Cross Yukon asked last week that the potential for fracking be removed from the assessment. It did so while responding to requests from the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board for more information.

Assessment officer Shelby Jordan of the board office in Dawson City said this morning the potential use of fracking will not be included in the assessment for the two exploration wells, as a result of the request from Northern Cross to remove it.

The assessment agency, she said, can only assess a project as it is presented.

Jordan said the recommendation to the Yukon government regarding the project will note hydraulic fracturing was not included in the assessment.

The practice of hydraulic fracturing has come under the microscope in recent years. Many have argued it is dangerous to the environment, particularly ground water.

Hydraulic fracturing involves using high pressure to pump a mixture of water and chemicals underground to fracture rock formations and free pockets of natural gas.

In its most recent request for information, the assessment board's office in Dawson asked Northern Cross if hydraulic fracturing might be used in the two holes scheduled to be drilled this winter.

The company responded by asking to have fracking removed from the scope of the assessment, indicating it could not say right now.

"At this early stage of exploration, it is not possible to provide specific details related to the potential use of hydraulic fracture stimulation,” reads the company's response of Oct. 2.

"NCY first needs to gather information by drilling the two proposed wells and evaluating samples and test results before determining whether hydraulic fracture stimulation can be considered as an appropriate procedure to support future resource development.

"To the extent that hydraulic fracture stimulation is a viable procedure, its application would be undertaken in compliance with the statutory and regulatory regime of Yukon.”

Northern Cross indicated to the assessment office this past summer that once a well permit is issued, should the company decide to use fracking later, a separate environmental assessment would not be required, according to the Yukon government.

The company made note of a meeting in June with a senior oil and gas official. During the meeting, Northern Cross was assured hydraulic fracturing could be approved in the future by the oil and gas branch through standard regulations, without an assessment.

The period for commenting on this winter's project proposal closed Oct. 3. The Dawson office is preparing its recommendation for the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (EMR).

Northern Cross already has permits for four other exploration holes near Eagle Plains, having gone through the environmental and socio-economic screening process back in 2007 and 2008.

It did not proceed with the work until the past summer. Two holes are being drilled currently.

The majority interest in Northern Cross was purchased by a Chinese company last year for $20 million. That sum equals the amount Northern Cross needs to spend to fulfill commitments it made to secure the oil and gas leases.

Don Roberts chairs the organization Yukoners Concerned About Oil and Gas Exploration/Development.

It has launched a campaign calling on the government to ban hydraulic fracturing until the industry can prove it can be done without harm to the environment.

Roberts reiterated this morning that jurisdictions around the world are looking closely at the impacts of fracking, and some have banned its use.

A community information tour is being planned by the organization for this fall, and a petition is circulating, he told the Star.

"Basically, we will continue to do what we have to do to get the message across to politicians that it needs to be banned,” he said.

"I think our comment would be it looks like fracking is still possible, and we believe at this point there is no method to guarantee no pollution of the land and water.

"We should ban it until they can come forward with hard evidence that what they are doing is safe.”

EMR Minister Brad Cathers and Environment Minister Currie Dixon have declined requests from the Star for interviews about fracking, and the possibility it could occur without an environmental assessment.