This morning a report by the Environmental Audit Committee of the House of Commons called for a moratorium on fracking because of risks to the climate and the environment. Supporters of a halt to fracking welcomed the report but reaction from the industry has been critical. Onshore Energy Services […]
A committee of MPs called today for a moratorium on fracking in the UK. The cross-party Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said fracking was inconsistent with the UK’s legal duties to limit global climate change.It also said fracking should be halted because of uncertainties about other risks to the environment.
The Environment Agency’s top staff on fracking told MPs yesterday they were confident that current regulations were good enough to deal with any risks to people and the environment.
Lord Chris Smith, the head of the new industry-funded Task Force on Shale Gas, yesterday urged the government to be open about all the information it had on fracking.
Sixty pieces of evidence have been submitted to a parliamentary inquiry on the environmental risks of fracking. Most accepted there were risks, about three-quarters questioned whether they could be dealt with adequately and about a third called for a complete or partial ban on fracking.
Academics, a gas industry representative, a climate change adviser, a peer and a regulator will be giving evidence to the parliamentary inquiry on the environmental risks of fracking. Our report on the inquiry
The risks of fracking in the UK are to be investigating next year by the House of Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee.
DRILL OR DROP? 