Measuring, monitoring, mitigating managing the environmental impact of shale gas (M4ShaleGas) was funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 program under the grant number 640715. Professor UAM Aleksandra Lis-Plesińska was the PI at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.
The accelerated development of shale gas is accompanied by growing public concern regarding the safety of shale gas extraction and its impact on human health and the environment.
Even if it has proved successful in the US, for Europe there are a number of important gaps in our present understanding of shale gas exploration and exploitation, and a strong need for independent, science- based knowledge of its potential impacts in a European context.
The M4ShaleGas program focuses on reviewing and improving existing best practices and innovative technologies for measuring, monitoring, mitigating and managing the environmental impact of shale gas exploration and exploitation in Europe.
The technical and social research activities will yield integrated scientific recommendations for:
• how to minimize environmental risks to the subsurface, surface and atmosphere;
• risk reduction and mitigation measures;
• how to address the public attitude towards shale gas development.
Eighteen research institutes from ten EU Member States that collaborate in the M4ShaleGas consortium cover different geopolitical regions in Europe, including countries that are at the forefront regarding shale gas exploration and exploitation in Europe as well as countries where shale gas exploitation is not yet being actively pursued.
Knowledge and experience on best practices is imbedded by direct collaboration with US and Canadian research partners and input from representatives from the industry. During the project, results will be public and actively disseminated to all stakeholders.
