News stream reporting on the latest news on efforts to exploit unconventional oil and gas and the campaign against it
A police officer monitoring the crowds at last summer’s Balcombe anti-fracking protests told a court this afternoon (22/1/14) how he was punched in the chest by a young woman demonstrator. PC Mario Ciaramella, usually based at Worthing Police Station, was giving evidence at the trial of three environmental […]
The energy minister, Michael Fallon, said he would do anything he could to remove barriers to shale gas exploration and increase the pace of development. He was giving evidence to the House of Lords economic affairs committee which is carrying out an inquiry into the shale gas industry. […]
Environment Data Services (ENDS) Report revealed today (17/1/14) that the Environment Agency has had its budget cut by £10m more than expected. The Environment Agency (EA) will receive £397.4m of revenue funding from the government for the year 2014-15, down from £467m in 2013-14. According to ENDS, the […]
The shale industry needs to improve its engagement with the public, according to one of the UK’s leading environmental advisors. In a report published this week, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) said there was a “disappointing degree of defensiveness” from people closely involved in […]
The Lancashire Evening Posts reports that Cuadrilla Resources has pledged to be “a good neighbour” and pay a community benefit of £100,000 for each exploration wellhead where fracking takes place in the county. The paper reports that the Community Foundation for Lancashire will run a pilot scheme managing community […]
The cases against nearly half the people arrested at the anti-fracking protests outside Cuadrilla’s drilling site Balcombe have been dropped by police or prosecutors. The finding was revealed following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made by InvestigatingBalcombeAndCuadrilla.com to Sussex Police. According to the police response, a […]
The Chief Constable of Sussex, Martin Richards, will be called to give evidence at an anti-fracking trial, which could become a test case for the use of the Public Order Act against protestors. The case involves poet Simon Welsh, the first Balcombe resident to be arrested during the […]
The Brighton Argus reported today (14/1/14) that Sussex Police is employing a civilian to manage its investigation into the fracking protests outside Cuadrilla’s exploration site at Balcombe. According to the Argus, the force said it did not have anyone suitable internally to act as the equivalent of a […]
The acquittal of 11 anti-fracking campaigners last week (9/1/14) was ignored by most of the mainstream media, despite detailed and prominent coverage of their arrests in July. The group was found not guilty of obstructing the highway outside Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site at Balcombe, after a three-day trial […]
The UK Onshore Operators Group (UKOOG), which represents oil and gas companies, announced this morning it was setting up a pilot phase of its community benefits scheme for shale gas exploration sites. This will provide £100,000 to a local community once planning consent for a site has been […]
DRILL OR DROP? 