Public Trust in Environmental Decision-Making: A Case Study of Shale Gas Regulation in Kent County, New Brunswick

The existence of trust and confidence in public authorities and in the rules and the outcomes of environmental and other regulatory assessment processes is highly important. This case examines a region that was overwhelmingly distrustful of public authorities making decisions about shale gas development. Kent County is a rural area in New Brunswick, Canada, featuring coastal and inland villages and a unique mix of three cultures (Mi’kmaq, Acadian, and Anglophone). Through a combination of interviews (n=20) and a survey (n=500), we identified three main reasons for the lack of confidence: (1) skepticism over capacity; (2) scandals and controversies; and (3) challenges of aligning with indigenous epistemologies and questions of representation.