MPs quiz EA on fracking regulations
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.
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.
This month’s events about fracking and onshore oil and gas Sunday 11th January 2015 Crawberry Hill Solidarity Day, 12 noon, Walkington Heads, Walkington HU17 8RB Details
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
A government report quoted by ministers as reassurance that fracking is safe has been criticised as inadequate and its conclusions unsubstantiated and misleading.
The risks of fracking in the UK are to be investigating next year by the House of Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee.
Local authorities lack competence to deal with important issues in shale gas planning applications, according to a majority of respondents to a new survey.
The risks from fracking are compared to those from thalidomide, asbestos and tobacco in a study used as evidence for the annual report by the government’s chief scientific advisor.
The former minister, Norman Baker, will call tomorrow for a shift away from fracking and towards renwables.