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Vote on fracking
expected imminently...
THE 'BBC Today' programme has
reported that the House of Commons vote on fracking may come any day now.
The government has been accused of using an obscure parliamentary process to
bring in the regulations that allow fracking to take place under National
Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites.
The government will not be drawn on exactly when the vote will be and is
still refusing a full debate. This is furthering accusations that the
government is pushing the regulations through the parliamentary process
hastily and without scrutiny.
Hannah Martin, Greenpeace campaigner said:- "The government is
sneaking these regulations through the back door, not keeping its promise of
a ban on fracking in protected areas and not allowing a full debate in the
House of Commons. This is disgraceful given that these are highly
controversial proposals that could bring air, light, water and noise
pollution to national parks, World Heritage Sites and wildlife conservation
areas.
The government's unwavering support for fracking doesn't make economic or
environmental sense. Fracking pollution will mean flares, drilling rigs, and
heavy lorries polluting the air, spilling over and scarring our most scenic
and precious landscapes. Fracking won't cut bills for people. it won't bring
many new jobs for local residents. But it will likely knock down the value
of families' homes, damage tourism and contribute to climate change. Fracked gas is not necessary to power the UK. Even though the government is
using every trick in the book to usher fracking in as quickly as possible,
it would only deliver gas in a decade and is enormously expensive, requiring
huge tax breaks for the industry. We need to be sourcing most of power from
Renewable energy by then.
People who love and live in the spectacular countryside and nature near the
Peak District, the North York Moors, the South Downs, and who care about
climate change will not stand for a government which is only listening to
the fracking industry lobbyists, and riding roughshod over local wishes to
industrialise our most beautiful scenery and damage the climate."
Greenpeace point to emails disclosed under the Freedom of Information act,
that show Celtique Energy wrote to then energy minister Matthew Hancock in
August 2014 to express concern at government plans to make it more difficult
for fracking firms to drill in national parks.
The company's chief executive Geoff Davis wrote on August 1 2014 that the
plans would make it "difficult" for the firm to explore for shale gas
in West Sussex.
Davis wrote:- "we are concerned and confused by last week's government
statements, which have been portrayed in the media as blocking shale
exploration in national parks and AONB [areas of outstanding natural
beauty]. As you will no doubt appreciate this will make it even more
difficult for Celtique to explore in the Weald and apply in the 14th
Landward Round. This would be shame, given the very large area covered by
national parks and AONB." |
