LAC-BEAUPORT - The Quebec government surprised observers by warning Friday that it might not allow natural-gas development to proceed in the province.
The hardened tone from the government came after another report of leaks from an exploration well -- this time in Lotbiniere.
The statement from Premier Jean Charest and one of his ministers came after many months in which the government had sounded gung-ho about the potentially lucrative industry.
"The exploitation of shale gas will be done correctly on our territory -- or it won't happen," Charest told reporters outside a caucus retreat.
He was echoing the comments of a cabinet member, Sustainable Development Minister Pierre Arcand, who said he had concerns that the industry wasn't able to control its wells.
But Quebec hasn't quite declared a moratorium yet.
The government says it will wait to see a study from the provincial impact-assessment agency, next month, before deciding how to proceed.
Quebec is sitting on vast natural gas deposits, with potentially billions in royalties and and billions of cubic feet in untapped resources.
However, in a province without a history of oil-and-gas drilling, and a strong environmental movement, the emerging industry is proving to be controversial.
