Anti-fracking amendment before EU Parliament

Anti-fracking amendment before EU Parliament by Leitrim Observer, November 17, 2012
Sinn Féin Northern Ireland MEP Martina Anderson co-signed an anti-Fracking amendment last week which it is hoped will be accepted for discussion at the November plenary session in the EU Parliament. Martina Anderson said, “I was happy to co-sign this amendment along with other members of the GUE/NGL grouping in the European Parliament.
“The amendment, urges Member States not to authorise any new hydraulic fracturing operations in the EU.
“After researching the issue for months our group recognises that the risks, the negative climate, environmental and health impacts involved in Fracking are completely unacceptable.
“Research shows that companies and governments often overestimate shale gas deposits in order to support their actions. Recently, for instance, the Polish government had to admit that its shale gas deposits are actually just a minor fraction of its original estimates.
“Besides the fact that most Shale Gas deposits are still too difficult to exploit, the EU does not need Shale Gas as there is enough conventional gas available to back up renewable energies with gas power stations. Furthermore, as renewables such as wind and wave are developed, we will require less gas to produce electricity and heat.
“I am supporting this amendment because common sense and experience of exploitation of resources by oil and gas conglomerates shows that funding spent on Fracking will be diverted from any monies available for renewable energy development. I urge all of the anti-Fracking campaign groups to lobby their MEP to support this amendment to have the European Parliament focus on the environmentally friendly renewables and ban destructive exploration methods such as Fracking.” [Emphasis added]

[Refer also to: AEA: Support to the identification of potential risks for the environment and human health arising from hydrocarbons operations involving hydraulic fracturing in Europe ”A proportion (25% to 100%) of the water used in hydraulic fracturing is not recovered, and consequently this water is lost permanently to re-use, which differs from some other water uses in which water can be recovered and processed for re-use.” [Emphasis added]

EU raises fresh concerns over environmental impact of Shale Gas, Series of major new reports increase prospect of EU level regulation to tackle Shale Gas risks

DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIE POLICY DEPARTMENT A: ECONOMIC AND SCIENTIFIC POLICY Impacts of shale gas and shale oil extraction on the environment and on human health European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, June 2011
The technology for shale gas development has characteristics which partly show unavoidable environmental impacts, partly have a high risk if the technology is not used adequately and partly have a possible high risk for environmental damages and hazards to human health even when applied properly. [Emphasis added]

The National Energy Board’s 2009 Primer for Understanding Canadian Shale Gas – Energy Briefing Note 
“Drilling and hydraulically fracturing wells can be water-intensive procedures; however, there is very limited Canadian experience from which to estimate potential environmental impacts.” ]

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