Good afternoon, Mr. Chair.
I will begin with the economic impact, which is always presented as being the most essential, when in fact, it is not.
In order for the industry to make money on this, the selling price must be $6 per 1,000 cubic feet. It is currently at $4 per cubic foot. So it is not at all profitable to develop shale gas. Nor is it beneficial as far as the people of Quebec are concerned, even at $6 per 1,000 cubic feet. And in terms of improving the trade balance, the impact is insignificant. It represents a small fraction of 1% of all Quebec imports. So, in our view, this endeavour is not economically beneficial for the industry or Quebec society, as we speak.
In terms of obtaining social acceptability, one of the most important considerations, the fact that the shale gas is located in agricultural and populated areas in Quebec is a major, if not insurmountable, obstacle.
There is already huge opposition to the 30 wells that exist today. Just imagine the reaction when there are 5,000 or 10,000 such wells in a very small area in the heart of Quebec. That is the area where Quebec took shape over four centuries of colonization. So gaining society's acceptance of these activities will be extremely difficult.
Ever-growing numbers of wells in a very limited area, together with the constant comings and goings of trucks and numerous gas pipelines—thousands of small gas pipelines will also be necessary to connect all the wells—will make the public concerned increasingly hostile to this type of development.
Now, I would like to share with you our findings on all this. There are no clear economic benefits for the industry, or more importantly, Quebec society as a whole. Social acceptance of this development is lacking, and that will probably always be the case. The risks to people's health and quality of life, the threat to drinking water and the other possible risks of damage are too great to allow drilling and fracturing activities to continue, even on a small scale.
There is no urgent need to proceed, none at all. Quebec has all the energy it needs right now. Nor is there an urgent need economically speaking, because the price of gas has to go up first, and that will take some time. It may hit $6 or even $10 in 20 or 30 years, but certainly not in the foreseeable future. So there is no urgent need to proceed.
Consequently, a moratorium is necessary. We should not rush into anything. We need to conduct a very careful analysis of the entire impact of this new energy industry, which seeks to establish itself in the St. Lawrence Valley, the cradle and jewel of Quebec. It is important to understand that this heavy industrial polluter wants to call the jewel and heart of Quebec home.
This region of Quebec, between Montreal and Quebec City, should be protected for the present and future generations. Authorities at every level, including the federal government, should support and promote this common-sense approach, a moratorium proposed on the basis of a rare consensus in Quebec society.
Thank you, Mr. Chair and honourable members.