The Canadian Minister of Environment: Ban underground injection of hydrogen sulphide gas

Huge amounts of sulphur are being extracted from sour gas in the western Canada and bitumen in the Alberta tar sands. Increasingly this sulphur is being injected underground as hydrogen sulphide, one of the most deadly poisonous industrial gases. One breath over 1000 parts per million is fatal. The hydrogen sulphide gas is often injected into old or operational oil and gas fields that are penetrated with wells that can be pathways for leakage of the hydrogen sulphide gas into groundwater and the atmosphere. The liability of this poisonous burden is being passed on to future generations. This highly dangerous and irresponsible underground injection of hydrogen sulphide to dispose of sulphur recovered from fossil fuels was pioneered in Canada and is being done worldwide. Sulphur should be disposed of in a less environmentally risky manner such as burial in limestone lined vaults.Underground injection of hydrogen sulphide gas should be banned.