Drilling plan near Gros Morne comes under fire

A woman living in the area of Gros Morne National Park is urging residents to speak out against a company's oil exploration plans in that part of western Newfoundland.

Shoal Point Energy would like to drill near Sally's Cove, one of the coastal communities surrounded by the national park.

Angie Payne, who has gone door-to-door in the area, said she was shocked that most people knew little about the plan.

The company is scheduled to explain its plans during a public consultation on Thursday evening.

"We think it's awful that they think so little of the people here that they would believe that we would trade our own health and the health of our own home and environment for a few jobs that will only last a little while," Payne said.

Shoal Point Energy plans to launch exploratory drilling at three western Newfoundland sites in the coming year.

Toronto-based Shoal Point Energy has said it has met with regulatory authorities about plans that "may include hydraulic fracturing as a method of stimulation of the Green Point Shale formation."

Hydraulic fracturing is often calling fracking, an often controversial practice that aims to turn hitherto inaccessible petroleum resources into commercial sites.

While the company prepares to make its case to the public, Payne has been planning meetings this week in Cow Head and Rocky Harbour, two of the larger towns in the park area.