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Article

20 Apr 2015

Author:
Alice Bradshaw-Smith, Colombia Reports

Colombia: Environmentalists urge government to stop fracking due to threats to access to water

“Can Colombia afford to stop fracking faced with plummeting oil revenue?” - Apr 14, 2015 

Colombia cannot afford to stop fracking, according to state-run oil company Ecopetrol, alarming environmentalists across the country.  “If we take the decision not to use the technology, we are deciding to leave oil in the ground. Can we afford it? My answer is no,” Ecopetrol director Juan Carlos Echeverry told daily El Tiempo…This announcement, although not new, is alarming for environmentalists, and has divided opinion across the country.  Manuel Rodriguez…assured…that Colombia does not have adequate conditions for fracking.  “Echeverry said that the country does not have the luxury to not do fracking, but does the country have the luxury to continue destroying the environment?” Rodriguez asked…Environmentalists point out that this process affects underwater aquifers, uses a huge amount of water and also could produce small earthquakes that sooner or later could affect the surface.  The process can also cause both the contamination of ground water and huge greenhouse gas emissions…A further concern is the large amount of water that is used…