Hyndburn MP expresses doubts over controversial 'fracking' schemes

10:54am Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News

AN EAST Lancashire MP has waded into the row over plans to tap into the gas reserves beneath the county.

Hyndburn MP Graham Jones said that he was sceptical that the plans to fracture shale rocks to release natural gases, called fracking, will have any benefit in the UK, or Lancashire.

And he said he was concerned that the plans would ‘scar’ the county.

Drilling for shale gas near Blackpool restarted earlier this year as bosses at Cuadrilla Resources aimed to exploit the estimated 200 trillion cubic feet of gas under the ground across the ‘Bowland basin’.

The firm had suspe-nded its operation last year after it was feared small earthquakes had been triggered by the process.

It was allowed to con-tinue after stringent recommendations from experts who had been commissioned by the government They said that even a tremor too small to be noticed above ground should result in an immediate shutdown.

Mr Jones said: “As a Lancashire MP I still have concerns about the real benefits that frac-king could bring to the UK, and whether these outweigh environmental and safety concerns.

“While an increase in supply sounds like a simple remedy to high energy prices we need to look at the facts.

“For me, the environ-mental concerns must weigh heavy in this balancing act. France and Bulgaria (sites of the biggest shale gas fields in Europe) have both said no to fracking.

“It is true that gas prices have been reduced in the United States, but that argument is not directly transferable to the UK, so I remain a sceptic.”

Cuadrilla last week submitted an application to Lancashire County Council to continue its work at a temporary site near Hesketh Bank for 36 months. It is seeking to establish whether it is viable to recover gas trapped within shale.

Development director Mark Miller said: “Extending the existing planning permission would not change the fact that the site will be returned to its original condition once oper-ations are complete.”

Comments (4)

8:39pm Tue 4 Sep 12

Michael@ClitheroeSince58 says...

Development director Mark Miller said: “Extending the existing planning permission would not change the fact that the site will be returned to its original condition once operations are complete.
How does he intend to do this? as fluid (up to 20-40%) is left behind after fracking. What happens if this gets into our drinking water, but he will be long gone with the profits and we will be left with a huge problem, I think everyone should be concerned.
Development director Mark Miller said: “Extending the existing planning permission would not change the fact that the site will be returned to its original condition once operations are complete. How does he intend to do this? as fluid (up to 20-40%) is left behind after fracking. What happens if this gets into our drinking water, but he will be long gone with the profits and we will be left with a huge problem, I think everyone should be concerned. Michael@ClitheroeSince58

11:04pm Tue 4 Sep 12

Pan-cake says...

Obviously, Cuardrilla should not be given carte blanche. But our current energy situation is becoming critical and expensive plunging many into fuel poverty. The prospect of a home produced and thus secure energy source should not be dismissed out of hand.
Look at the facts rather than hearsay scare stories from so called 'environmentalists' who seem only to be able to cry ' no no never never' to any new development in the country side. Except wind turbines, of course.
Obviously, Cuardrilla should not be given carte blanche. But our current energy situation is becoming critical and expensive plunging many into fuel poverty. The prospect of a home produced and thus secure energy source should not be dismissed out of hand. Look at the facts rather than hearsay scare stories from so called 'environmentalists' who seem only to be able to cry ' no no never never' to any new development in the country side. Except wind turbines, of course. Pan-cake

3:40am Wed 5 Sep 12

cladd50 says...

This is a complex topic and given to hyperbole on the part of both sides. For those wanting to learn more, Natural Gas Europe provides a extensive archive of articles (pro and con) on shale gas developments throughout Europe.
This is a complex topic and given to hyperbole on the part of both sides. For those wanting to learn more, Natural Gas Europe provides a extensive archive of articles (pro and con) on shale gas developments throughout Europe. cladd50

7:50am Thu 6 Sep 12

nickpt says...

Michael It's worse than you say, according to Mark Miller's own evidence given to theparliamentary select committee on energy and climate change up to around 70% of fracking fluid remains underground.
But it seems to me what he says about return of the site is misleading, to say the least. If Cuadrilla find there is justification for extraction do you think they are going to walk away from the site? No, of course not. They will put in an application for a permanent site. The whole business of temporary permission is a smokescreen. Cuadrilla's own planning applications to LCC say if shale gas is viable then DECC will want them to exploit it.
Michael It's worse than you say, according to Mark Miller's own evidence given to theparliamentary select committee on energy and climate change up to around 70% of fracking fluid remains underground. But it seems to me what he says about return of the site is misleading, to say the least. If Cuadrilla find there is justification for extraction do you think they are going to walk away from the site? No, of course not. They will put in an application for a permanent site. The whole business of temporary permission is a smokescreen. Cuadrilla's own planning applications to LCC say if shale gas is viable then DECC will want them to exploit it. nickpt

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