Fracking consultation extended

Fracking consultation extended by Environment Agency and other news

Public consultation on Third Energy’s application for an environmental permit to frack at Kirby Misperton has been extended by the Environment Agency to Friday, 7 August.  This is to allow people more time to read the company’s proposals and submit their comments.  The consultation allows local people to raise any local environmental concerns that they want to be taken into consideration when a decision is made on whether a permit should be issued. The consultation is open people throughout the Vale of Pickering, including Slingsby, where Third Energy were surveying last summer.

The consultation documents can be viewed online at

https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/portal/npsapp/teuk/third_energy

or at Malton and Pickering libraries.  Comments can be submitted using the online tool, by emailing [email protected] or in writing to P&SC – EP Team, Quadrant 2, 99 Parkway Avenue, Sheffield, S9 4WF

Third Energy’s separate application to North Yorkshire County Council for planning permission to frack at Kirby Misperton was returned to the company because of deficiencies in the information provided.  The application failed the Council’s validation test on numerous grounds, including no details of the production stage, site restoration, flood impact assessment, chemicals used, amount of waste water, noise monitoring, or the effect of noise and air pollution on visitors to Flamingo Land.  We understand that the company has now resubmitted the application.

More information is available at www.frackfreeryedale.org/thirdenergy

Other recent fracking news:

The full, uncensored government report from DEFRA “Shale Gas Rural Economy Impacts” has finally been published with the ‘redacted’ sections reinstated.  This warns that the leakage of waste fluids could affect human health through polluted water or the consumption of contaminated agricultural products, as has happened in the USA.  Even if contaminated surface water does not directly affect drinking water supplies, the report says that fracking can affect human health indirectly through contaminated wildlife, livestock, or agricultural products.  As North Yorkshire is a major farming area, this is a particular concern: an accident could devastate the local agricultural economy.

The report also estimates that house prices could fall by 7% within a mile of the fracking wells and that properties within a mile and a half might incur additional insurance costs.

The Task Force on Shale Gas, an independent body but industry-funded, has concluded that it is too soon to say whether fracking would be a good thing for the UK and that the effect on climate change could rule it out.  It also says that the industry has not been transparent enough and it would take time to reassure the public about the technology.  The next section of the Task Force’s study, which will deal with the effects on climate change, is to be published in September.