Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good morning gentlemen.
Mr. Fraser, Talisman Energy is a company that is very involved in Quebec. Obviously through the current BAPE hearings we have witnessed broad opposition on the part of the Quebec public to shale gas extraction. Correct me if I am mistaken, but contrary to British Columbia, in Quebec this extraction takes place in densely populated areas and in agricultural areas, and our fear is that this will create few specialized jobs. Shale gas extraction is not necessarily a priority for Quebeckers because they prefer greener sources of energy and their needs are less pressing.
Obviously water use and environmental harm are particularly problematic for us. In fact, Talisman Energy violated the rules at the end of October because this summer the company used four million litres of water in order to hydraulically fracture its well at Gentilly. Out of those four million litres of water, three million were not treated and ended up in open reservoirs. That was of great concern to the public. We're told that there are about 30 wells, but imagine if there were 1,000, 10,000 or 15,000. That would be of great concern.
Is it your intention to do any research? Do you intend to improve the treatment of this waste water after fracturing? Do you intend to reduce the amounts of water? What do you want to do in order to reassure the public?