Anti-drilling message projected on Guildford Cathedral, 25 February 2018. Photo: A Voice for Leith Hill

Updated 28/2/2018: The Environment Agency has cancelled the Dorking event because of bad weather 

Opponents of drilling for oil near Leith Hill in Surrey are to hand in a petition on Thursday with what could be more than 100,000 signatures.

The online petition calls on the Environment Agency to refuse environmental permits for oil exploration at Bury Hill Wood in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The hand-in comes just days after the campaign group, A Voice for Leith Hill, projected anti-drilling messages on the face of Guildford Cathedral (see photo above and below).

Anti-drilling message projected on Guildford Cathedral, 25 February 2018. Photo: A Voice for Leith Hill

The petition, which at the time of writing had passed 99,100 signatures, is to be presented to the Environment Agency (EA) at a drop-in information event in Dorking at 6.30pm on Thursday 1 March.

The signatories say the risks of water contamination from the proposed operations by Europa Oil and Gas are unacceptable. The company has said it will pump dilute hydrochloric acid into the well and surrounding rocks.

The EA is minded to approve a mining waste permit. It is also considering whether to grant a radioactive substances permit.

Earlier this month, the EA said the draft permit, currently out for consultation, would “ensure that a high level of protection is provided for the environment and health.”

A report on the draft decision said the proposed site surfacing and containment were “sufficient to mitigate risks to surface and groundwater receptors”. (See DrillOrDrop report)

38 Degrees petition to the Environment Agency. Link

But the local resident who started the petition said:

“We are encouraged that so many people agree the water pollution risks from oil drilling using acid and other chemicals are unacceptable. We call on the Environment Agency to act on our concerns by rejecting this application.

“Short term oil extraction is increasingly being prioritised by our Government over the protection of our water resource. Water will ultimately be much more valuable and important to our Nation than oil. It’s short term thinking at its worst.

“Water is both a vital natural resource and a heritage, which must be protected, defended and treated as such. We would like to invite any local people who have concerns over the safety of our water due to the proposed acidisation drilling process, to join us in handing in this petition. We hope it makes a difference to the EA’s decision.”

Europa Oil and Gas was granted three years of planning permission for oil exploration at Bury Hill Wood in August 2015 following a planning inquiry.

Sutton and East Surrey Water, which supplies water mainly from underground aquifers, has raised concerns about Europa’s plans.

In November 2015, director Lester Sonden, said:

“Our objection to drilling in this location is that it will increase the risk of polluting the aquifer of the local watercourse that is used for public water supply.

“Besides the risk of contaminating our borehole sources at Dorking, there is also a risk that contamination could lead to pollution of the River Mole, which in turn could affect our sources at Leatherhead.

“This is because our water sources are connected, albeit sometimes indirectly.

“We are concerned that in the event of a leak or a spill, the proposed mitigation measures will not guarantee the protection of our aquifers.

“As a water company responsible for the public water supply, it is incumbent upon us to bring this increased risk to people’s attention.” (Source: Get Surrey)

Updated 28/2/2018: The Environment Agency has cancelled the Dorking event because of bad weather 

Cathedral projections

Anti-drilling message projected on Guildford Cathedral, 25 February 2018. Photo: A Voice for Leith Hill

The campaign group, A Voice for Leith Hill, projected anti-drilling messages on the tower of Guildford Cathedral at 11.45pm on Sunday 25 February. Earlier that evening, they projected the same messages on Leith Hill Tower, near the Bury Hill Wood oil site.

More so-called “guerrilla projections” are planned elsewhere as part of their campaign to oppose exploratory drilling in the area, the group said.

In a statement the group said:

“We want to promote awareness within the local community and attract support in the campaign against these environmentally damaging and disruptive plans, which are being forced through against the wishes of communities.

“These plans set a dangerous precedent for unconventional oil exploration within the Surrey Hills AONB [Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty] and Weald with further plans to drill beneath the South Downs National Park.”

Consultation on draft environmental permit

Details about the Environment Agency drop-in event

• Europa is still waiting for a decision on its traffic management plan for the Bury Hill Wood site. The plan could be discussed by Surrey County Council’s planning committee at its next meeting on Wednesday 21 March 2018 in Kingston. The date is likely to be confirmed about a week before the meeting. Details