Tory government overrules local council in Lancashire to restart Fracking risk across UK

Belcoo Frack Free expresses solidarity with Lancashire community; confident that they can defeat fracking from on-high

Responding to news that the Conservative government will overturn the local council vote to proceed with the first fracking well in the UK in five years, chair of Belcoo Frack Free Tom White said:

"Belcoo Frack Free believes the decision by the Tory Government to overturn Lancashire County Council's planning decision and now allow exploration for shale gas using high volume hydraulic fracturing near Blackpool is grotesque, unfair and a breach of public trust.

Minister must halt compromised North-South fracking study

Unconventional Gas research consortium being led by 'industry-cheerleader' consultants

Group writes to Mark H Durkan to demand action to address conflict of interest

Belcoo Frack Free chairperson, Tom White, spoke of his group's concerns over the all-island research programme into unconventional gas or fracking and demanded immediate action by the Environment Minister and local political leaders:

"Minister Mark H Durkan has stressed his satisfaction with the processes and procedures associated with the all-island UGEE (Unconventional Gas Exploration & Extraction) study which is being currently undertaken on a cross-border basis. This study will be hugely influential in whether fracking proceeds in Ireland over the next few years.

"Local campaigners have been highly critical of the exclusion of any health-assessment within this study as well as its narrow terms of reference but we are highly shocked that the consortium contracted to produce this study will be led by CDM Smith a known cheer-leader for this industry.

Tamboran’s partners in Australia, Santos, guilty of polluting aquifers

Belcoo Frack Free launches new banner at public meeting Thursday evening (21st August)

Belcoo Frack Free's new banner hangs on the Gates to Hell

Following the well-attended meeting the campaign group hung the banner on the ‘Gates to Hell’ outside Cleggan quarry near Belcoo where Tamboran propose to drill a shale gas exploration test well.

 

Campaign group chair, Tom White, explained the banner’s significance:

 

This banner publicises the fact that Tamboran's partners in Australia, Santos, have been found guilty of polluting an aquifer in the Pilliga forest in New South Wales territory. The aquifer has uranium levels now twenty times higher than the safe drinking water threshold and has elevated arsenic, lead, aluminium, nickel, barium and boron levels.

 

What is even more disconcerting about this incident is that Santos blamed another company, which they had acquired, for the contamination. This other company was Eastern Star Gas. whose founders Patrick Elliott and Dr David King are also members of Tamboran's board.

 

Belcoo Frack Free would like to note that this information has been in the public domain for some time now and believes that this should have been taken into account by Minister Foster’s Department when Tamboran's work program was extended in March. That this wasn't taken into account was unfortunate, but should not be overlooked in any future application by Tamboran.