Bertrand St-Arnaud, PQ member of the national assembly for Chambly, questions the government over shale gas exploration on Sept. 30. (Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press) The Quebec government is tightening the rules on shale gas exploration as public hearings into the controversial method of harvesting natural gas get underway.

Environment Minister Pierre Arcand told CBC News on Monday that any company that wants to do exploratory drilling from now on will have to get a new certificate — and pass a more rigorous inspection.

The new controls are in addition to the current permit that companies must obtain before putting drills in the ground.

Arcand said safety is key to the success of the shale gas industry in Quebec.

"This is what I'm trying to do today, to make it as safe as possible," he said.

"Before anybody gets a certificate of authorization, we need to make sure that they will follow the proper guidelines."

The new certificate will cover both the exploration and commercialization of shale gas, said Arcand. He said companies that already have permits will not have to get the extra certificate but will undergo thorough inspection.

"We only have 10 wells that are being explored right now in the province of Quebec. But in the future, there will be many more. I think it's very important that in the meantime we have the best practices," said Arcand.

BAPE to hear range of stakeholders

Oil and gas companies are eager to start drilling through the shale bedrock that sits below the farm fields of the St. Lawrence Valley to tap natural gas resources locked beneath. To free the gas, a mixture of water and chemicals blasts through the shale layer in a process called fracking.

The province has ordered its environmental protection agency, the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE), to review the practice and to report to government officials by February.

The agency will hold the first in a series of public Monday night in Saint-Hyacinthe, east of Montreal.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m., and will be available live on the BAPE website and via videoconference in the communities of Bécancour and Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière.

The hearings are also scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, and will resume Oct. 12-14. The hearings will pick up again in mid-November.

A wide range of people, including residents, environmentalists and scientists, are expected to make presentations.

PQ says review needs more time

The government review process is already facing criticism from environmentalists and politicians.

Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois, who supports shale gas development, said the BAPE mandate is too limited. She said the agency has neither the resources nor the time to do a proper assessment.

Opponents of shale gas exploration have not been shy in expressing concerns about possible contamination of drinking water or problems with pipelines. Some also say the Liberal government is too cozy with the industry.

During a meeting organized by the oil and gas industry last week in Saint-Hyacinthe, some people were escorted out of the room by police.

Lead proponent André Caillé, former chair of Hydro-Québec, even left for an hour out of concern for his safety.