The Nova Scotia Utilities and Review Board is deciding whether to extend a construction permit for the Alton Gas underground storage caverns to 2023. Some 60 interested parties submitted comments in writing. What happens next, and how the Board reaches its decision is anybody’s guess. This secrecy and lack of dialogue is not a good thing, given the controversies and complexities surrounding the project.

The Alton Gas salt caverns have managed to escape scrutiny from the regulators, writes researcher Ken Summers. But news that two of the four drilled wells are unusable should cause some alarm bells to go off.