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COUNCILLORS IN CLARE have agreed in principle a total ban on ‘fracking’ to extract shale gas from underground rock formations in the region.
The council voted to send an official letter to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte calling for an outright national ban on fracking.
There was also an agreement to amend the Clare development plan, a legally binding document, to forbid the controversial practice. This will now go forward for public consultation.
Green Party councillor Brian Meaney, who put forward the motion to amend the development plan, told TheJournal.ie that the change was “the most powerful method available to us, to put into that legal contract a stipulation that we don’t want to see any fracking.”
He said writing to the Minister was “a declaration of intent, but has no legal standing,” adding: “You may as well be seeking to abolish Christmas.”
Fracking is a method of pumping water and a chemical mixture underground at extremely high pressure, to break up – ‘fracture’ – rock formations and allow pockets of naturally occurring shale gas to escape.
Environmental activists have raised concerns about the eventual disposal of the fracking fluid, and possible contamination of water supplies.
Two companies have been licensed to carry out initial studies of the possible viability of fracking in parts of Cavan, Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo; while Enegi Oil is planning technical studies in the Clare Basin. Cllr Meanery said this area covered “most of west Clare”.
Cllr Meaney said there was a serious “lack of regulation” of fracking at the national and European levels. He said it had the potential to “cause huge environmental problems, in a country where our main export is food.”
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Earthquakes and poisoning of the water table, great news they are not allowing it.
Great news. I’ve heard Roscommon Co council are also banning it. Let’s hope Sligo and Leitrim follow as well and stop the fracking that companies are looking to start in those areas. Any possible so called ‘economic benefits’ far out weigh the dangers associated. Would be great to see a country wide ban but I fear the government as always will side with the big rich corporations ahead of the people of Ireland.
Of course, if we copied how the Dutch are doing things we’d be having an intelligent debate and getting sensible regulations and safe fracking.
Here, however, we won’t do that and are likely to cut off our noses to spite our faces.
I understand there are methods that are safer, but IF it goes wrong its too late. Why do we need gas when we’ve vast wind and wave energy?
We just need to specify which areas can be used and which are national parks and get to it.
The future is not more fossil fuels.
+1
Complete over reaction to people who are under-informed on fracking, which is perfectly possible to do safely, and bring in billions in revenue but feck it let’s play it safe and tax the f*ck out of people instead???
Hugh, no such thing as safe fracking! How can there be when you pump chemicals into the ground? Fracking is particularly unsuited to places with geology like that of Co. Clare.
Some of the country’s poorest areas with massive immigration are being given a potential lifeline. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have concerns, but we need to think about the possible benefits of this. Concern is good as it will make the companies compromise on safer methods, but blinded outrage is not helpful.
Sorry I mean’t emigration!
Yevette One of the proposed Fracking areas is close to my home area. My Dad whose unemployed, initially thought it might be great for the area and offer him a chance of work, however after numerous meetings with both sides of the fracking argument and his own research into fracking he has decided he wouldn’t touch anything to do with Fracking. Fracking in highly populated areas is never successful, the proposed fracking in our area is also dangerously close to lakes which supply many people with their drinking water. The levels of Randon is also already high in many of these areas and fracking may worsen this. Speaking as someone in an area that could be effected by fracking I know that the locals would rather have less money than for the area to be booming and their health to be in danger. There is clear and strong evidence that fracking in populated areas is dangerous. There are no benefits in the world worth loosing your health over.
If the fracking goes ahead then Ireland will benefit from being able to buy the gas at international prices. As in, for all the risk to our countryside and the environment, we won’t benefit at all.
Have a look at the “Gaslands” documentary.
Then answer this:
- If you were living in an area that would be affected by fracking, would you really want to risk it?
- If you weren’t living in an area that would be affected by fracking, would you force others to take that risk?
Some people who approve of fracking seem to think that those of us who oppose it have done no research, are nimbys, have reacted with “blind rage” etc. and are ignoring huge economic benefits. All these accusations are untrue and patronising.
If you have really done research on fracking you will come across communities with serious health issues including lung damage, places where livestock have died from drinking toxic backflow water, townspeople who can no longer drink the local water (Dimmock), places where people can no longer carry on sustainable farming – the list goes on and on.
Environmental destruction is never economically viable.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/ban-hydraulic-fracturing-for-natural-gas-in-ireland/sign.html
Luddites. A decision based on no debate, no discussions.
So our water could be poisoned; yet we,ve to pay for it
Our homes could blow up; yet we,ll be paying for that also
Our beautiful country will be ripped to shreds once more, the citizens of Ireland will get sicker
Yet our government will pocket the proceeds!!
Hmmm where,s he fairness and equality??
http://www.change.org/petitions/supporting-the-irish-nation-step-down-from-government
Many people mention the effects of fracking on water, but one of the more serious and commonplace impacts is degradation of air quality.
We have quite a few studies highlighting these risks.
Here are a few for starters:
1. A study by the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Health showed that people living within a half-mile of oil- and gas-well fracking operations were exposed to air pollutants five times above a federal hazard standard.
2. A study by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) found Emissions from oil and natural gas operations account for more than half of the pollutants – such as propane and – that contribute to ozone formation in Erie, Colorado.
3. A study in the journal Human and Ecological Risk Assessment showed more than 50 NMHCs were found near gas wells in rural Colorado, including 35 that affect the brain and nervous system. Some were detected at levels high enough to potentially harm children who are exposed to them before birth.
Given that the industry has shown itself incapable of mitigating these risks in the US, what makes you think it will be any different here?
Oh, and the ex-Coloradan oil and gas regulation director David Neslin, who I’ve met, claims that Colorado has the best regulations in the US! If this is what best practice looks like, why our government would even contemplate granting licences to such an industry is beyond belief really.
There’s an EPA report out “soon” looking at fracking in an Irish context. Should be a good read in relation to this issue. Mind you being public servants, soon could be another year. Must be nice not to have deadlines…
Clare, Roscommon and possibly Sligo and Leitrim. I have an idea, let these counties raise and spend their own tax revenue with no assistance from other counties.
How the f**k can anyone ban something without a full examination of the issue? How many councillors have talked to fracking companies? None, I’d bet.
How many have visited towns where this practice is allowed? Again, none.
What the Frack? Let’s support the local co co’s that are making it happen. Positivity. Email your local county newspapers that we have way too much energy off the shores of Ireland as it is. Wave, tidal, wind.The big waves are hard to handle. Surf it man ! Ireland exporting electricity to the UK in the near future. Peace
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