据路透社4月1日柏林报道,德国默克尔总理的内阁1日签署了一项法律草案,这项法律草案对有争议的页岩气水力压裂技术施加了有效的禁令。
页岩气水力压裂技术涉及把化学品和水用高压冲击岩石地层来释放被困天然气。由于担心这种技术存在污染饮用水的风险,反对声在人口稠密的德国非常强烈。
德国环境部长芭芭拉·亨德里克斯说,新的法律将对水力压裂技术设置德国最严厉的条件。
亨德里克斯在记者招待会上说:“保护健康和饮用水是我们的首要任务。为此,我们希望尽可能地限制水力压裂技术。”
这项等待议会批准的新法律在今后的几年里将彻底禁止页岩气水力压裂技术。这种技术只允许用于在严格条件下评估风险和环境影响的科学试验钻探。
李峻 编译
原文如下:
Germany Sets Very High Bar For Fracking
BERLIN, April 1 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet signed off on a draft law on Wednesday that imposes an effective ban on the controversial technique of fracking for shale gas.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves blasting chemicals and water into rock formations to release trapped gas. Opposition is strong in densely populated Germany due to concerns about the risk of contaminating drinking water.
Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said the new law would set Germany's strictest conditions for fracking.
"Protecting health and drinking water are top priorities. For this reason, we want to restrict fracking as far as possible," Hendricks told a news conference.
The new law, which now goes to parliament for approval, will impose an outright ban on fracking for shale gas in the next few years and only allow scientific test drilling under strict conditions to assess the risks and environmental impact.