News that fracking has been effectively banned in Northern Ireland has been cautiously welcomed locally.
Frank Duffy, former chairman of Ban Fracking Fermanagh Group
On Monday (28/09/2015) Environment Minister Mark H Durkan announced in his strategic planning policy statement (SPPS), which deals with planning policy, that the North would implement a ‘no fracking’ policy that would “only change in the future if the Department is satisfied that there is sufficient and robust evidence on all environmental impacts of fracking.”
Mr Durkan added the move was important as “significantly for the first time no fracking is actually enshrined in policy.”
Frank Duffy of ‘Ban Fracking Fermanagh’ said he was “very pleased” to hear of the move, stating it was “one step closer to an outright ban.”
Mr Duffy said the anti-fracking movement was now gathering momentum and politicians were “starting to listen.” “Mark Durkan has taken out views on board and has done the right thing,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard an MLA, Sammy Wilson, criticising him for it. This is for our children’s future.”
Cllr Raymond Farrell, who chaired a UUP working group on the issue, said he also agreed with Stormont’s current no-fracking policy.
“We got a lot of different opinions and it is my considered judgement that there are still a lot more questions than answers,” he said.
“If fracking is safe and economically viable than any reasonable person would have to accept it. However, I still have very significant concerns about the risks it poses to our environment and to people’s health.
“As a health practitioner myself, and from reading a lot of literature about it, I am not convinced as to its safety. Ultimately, as a councillor, I believe the health and well being of the community cannot be on balance with economic gain.
“If in the future we get more evidence to say otherwise, we should look at it again. For now, I agree with this current decision.”
(Source – Fermanagh Herald – 01/10/2015)
Anti Fracking Group Fears Cross Border Report Is Industry Led
Local anti-fracking campaigners attended a public meeting in Leitrim at the weekend, voicing their concern about certain aspects of an ongoing cross-border study into fracking and claiming that “the research will be written for the [oil and gas] industry for the industry”.
The Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is funding the research which aims to “assist regulators – both North and South – in making an informed decision about whether it is environmentally safe to allow fracking.” Blacklion GP Carroll O’Dolan, member of Fermanagh Fracking Awareness Network; Tom White, Chair of Belcoo Frack Free; Dr Aedin McLoughlin, Good Energies Alliance Ireland; and Vanessa Vine, a member of Britain and Ireland Frack Free were among the panellists at the meeting.
Their main concern is that the EPA research (which is also funded by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency) will be conducted by a consortium led by consultants CDM Smith and Amec Foster Wheeler, which have both worked for the oil and gas industry in the United States and Europe.
Following their own research, the panellists believe that “that there will be no independent external review of the final report planned because the companies themselves will be carrying out a review of their own work”.
They state that Queen’s University Belfast, who were to carry out a major section of the work, have left the consortium and they have quoted the university as saying its only involvement in the fracking study “was limited to the provision of consultancy during the initial tender stage”.
A spokeswoman from Fracking Free Network, the group who organised the event, said: “As the study attempts to move on to next stage which is work on the ground, the Irish government will be asked to halt the flawed process immediately from progressing.” Dr. Aedín McLoughlin, Director of Good Energies Alliance Ireland was also on the panel of speakers. She stated: “This is utterly shocking. The CDM Smith research study, co-ordinated by the EPA, is blatantly industry-driven. We were promised a study that would be independent and would look at fracking on human health. But its not happening at all. The only mention of human health in the research is the role of Health Impact Assessment in regulations. There is no mention of review of literature in this area, which is extensive. The only function of this project that I can see is to prepare the way for fracking in Ireland. It is unacceptable that such a study be used to inform Government policy on fracking. We call for an immediate halt to this research study now.” The EPA recently appeared before an Oireachtas Committee which was critical of the involvement of CDM Smith. EPA deputy director Dara Lynott defended the role of CDM Smith, saying they were “independent”.
In a letter to Fermanagh District Council in 2013, the then Enterprise Minister Arlene said that DETI’s decsions on fracking would “take into account” the EPA research but would also be informed by a wide range of factors “including the well-established engineering protocols and industrial standards currently in place within the UK and a wide range of research currently ongoing in the UK and elsewhere”.
(Source – Impartial Reporter – 26/10/20150