Llandow Fracking Inquiry 22-23 May

Friends of the Earth were well represented, with a statement from FoE Cymru's Director, Gareth Clubb and written plus verbal statements from Barry & Vale FoE - see Fracking Inquiry page.  Coastal Oil & Gas and the Vale Council discussed it as simply a test drilling operation, with CO&G claiming they were seeking ordinary coal-measure gas with no intentions for high-pressure fracking. They convinced no-one.  FoE argued the test drilling was part of a staged application for fracking and therefore needs full environmental impact assessment.  The Council had failed to 'screen' it for EIA, despite the Minister mentioning this in his letter declining to call-in the proposal.

FoE quoted the First Minister's letter of 29 Sept. to the Vale Council:

•  A “precautionary approach should be taken” and “additional environmental considerations” should be included. It referred to Minerals Planning Policy Wales (MPPW) which specifies “an environmentally acceptable way” of operation and being “consistent with the principles of sustainable development” for unconventional gas development.

The Vale Council officers had ignored this at the Planning Committee and did not argue for any 'additional' environmental precautions at this Inquiry.

There was a lengthy exchange about a Condition to be set on noise levels if the application was permitted. The Inspector first proposed noise guidance levels used for opencast mining and quarrying. FoE said no - to use the policy for industrial areas close to homes, with non-disturbing night-time levels in accord with WHO guidance.  The Vale officers failed to support FoE's approach, even though this was used at the Sunrise wood-burner inquiry.  So the issue is left to the Inspector's decision.  Whose side are the Vale officers on?

Fracking Debate in Commons, 3rd November

This debate was rather shallow and our Alun Cairns MP did not get in. Best to read it on “Theyworkforyou”, where annotations can be added – see this one on the Minister's speech:

Quadrilla's site is "thousands of feet" deep, but what of sites as Llandow in the Vale of Glamorgan, 650m or 2100 ft deep? Dwr Cymru's representations to the VoG Council did view it as too close.  Does Government rule out such shallow deposits within range of aquifers?

Fracking application REJECTED at Planning Meeting THURS 20th

Resounding victory!
The  Planning Committee unanimously rejected the Llandow application for test-boreholes for #fracking, mainly on the basis of Dwr Cymru arguments on  possible contamination of the groundwater.

BBC Wales broadcasted demonstrations outside the Civic offices live at 18:45 tonight.  The result was later broadcast at 22:30 by Cllr Nic Hodges (Plaid).

Congratulations to theValesaysNo campaign and all who joined in!

This unanimous rejection of the Planning Officer's recommendation should not only stop past practice of facilitating resubmission of a similar application, but also cause Rob Thomas to reflect on his rejection by the ruling Tory group and consider resigning.

No trust for Regulation of Fracking

At the VoG Scrutiny committee on Monday 17th Oct., one contributor declared:

The UK has no regulatory policy as fracking for gas is completely different from coal mining and conventional oil/gas wells.

The regulator (John Harrison, Environment Agency) was asked about the European groundwater directive, which forbids discharges of some chemicals to groundwater and is strongly restrictive on many others.  Since this Directive supports the bans of fracking in France and parts of Germany, why is the EA in England and Wales not applying it similarly?

… one of the things we will take into consideration (John Harrison replied) when we have an applicant’s information on their permit application. 

That sounds like -  try it and see if there are any problems, rather than ban it until we know the groundwater will not be polluted (highly unlikely on US experience). 

Though government tells us to rely on the EA to protect our environment, this exchange shows we and the VoG Council cannot do so.

Scrutiny exposure of Fracking in the Vale

Vale E&E Scrutiny Committee on FRACKING,
  in Council Chamber, Barry 17 Oct. 2011

A range of protesters and independents were permitted to put a 10-minute case to the Committee, with the applicants (a 'family' business, Coastal Oil and Gas) taking twice that long. Cllr Chris Williams in the Chair told everyone not to relate it to the planning application, but then the chief Officer outlined his planning report on the Llandow application. He reported the reply from the First Minister to the Council Leader as arriving too late, giving no guidance and “in essence” saying the application was for local determination. Yet that letter arrived on the day of the evening planning committee (29 Sept.) but was held back, presumably as it said of unconventional gas extraction that

•  “there are additional environmental considerations” and
•  “a precautionary approach should be taken”.

As well as Louis Evans of ValeSaysNo, an ex-industrial chemist Chris Smith and a US investigative journalist Dennis Campbell, were most impressive. Prof. Joe Cartwright of Cardiff Uni tried to argue the fracking process had been used for decades, but was slapped down by others saying it's near horizontal drilling along the strata and injection of chemicals at high pressure with extraction of flow water that is new. Friends of the Earth speaker, Max Wallis, stressed that the leaks of methane in fracking make it as bad as coal – so a switch to fracking-gas fuel can't help meet the UK's carbon targets.

Cllr Rob Curtis, who'd called for the special meeting, proposed a paper motion calling for a suspension of fracking permits until public concerns had been assuaged – and none of the Committee dared vote against. One said forcefully that there's no regulatory regime in place – despite government talk that the public should rely on the Environment Agency as regulator – as fracking for gas is fundamentally different from coal mining and oil extraction. Another said “precaution” requires us to wait a few years pending sufficient evidence.

Special VoG council meeting dedicated to fracking

EXTRAORDINARY meeting of a South Wales council will hear arguments on both sides of the debate over the controversial extraction of shale gas in the region.

"Vale Says NO" gives 6pm on Mon. 17th October, which follows a showing of the film Gasland at 3pm and is open to the public.

 Peter Collins reported in the SW Echo 8th Oct.:

Councillors are to hold a special meeting of the Vale of Glamorgan’s economy and environment committee amid growing concerns over plans which could lead to a full-scale fracking operation at the Llandow Industrial Estate.

The Vale Says No campaign group have been invited to address the committee alongside Eden Energy and Coastal Oil and Gas, which has submitted plans to test drill for shale gas at Llandow.

Under planning regulations, the council’s planning committee will have to reach a decision on the plan by October 12 (untrue, and the deferral on 29 Sept. means they won't).

If the test drilling verifies the company’s estimates of the size of the shale gas reserve underneath South Wales, it could open the way for an application for a full-scale hydraulic fracturing operation, known as fracking, to extract the gas.

Pressure is also mounting on the Welsh Government and the UK Government to produce a framework to guide councils faced with planning applications for fracking, which has been accused in America of polluting water supplies.

The scrutiny committee has written to both governments, the Welsh Local Government Association and all Welsh MPs and AMs demanding action on a policy framework.

Environmental campaigner and councillor Rob Curtis said: “The potential discovery of a huge shale gas field below the South Wales coalfield means residents of the Vale need an evidence-based policy which will help protect their local environment.”

Vale council leader Gordon Kemp has called on the Welsh Government to deal with fracking applications given “the significant sensitivities” around applications.

He has called on the Welsh Government to take responsibility in planning matters relating to the exploration and exploitation of shale gas reserves and produce a national Welsh framework policy.

The Welsh Government said it would “welcome working with the UK Government on developing a framework for the whole of UK.”

Louise Evans, of the Vale Says No campaign, said: “I welcome the opportunity to address the committee on this important issue.”

Gerwyn Williams of Coastal Oil and Gas could not be contacted.

The Vale Says No campaign will hold a protest surgery at Cowbridge Town Hall starting at noon on 17th October (tbc).

Wales' First Minister ducks fracking policy

Wales' First Minister wrote on 29 Sept. that Wales would not consider a (new) policy on fracking, in letter to the VoG Leader that took 4 months to write.  This despite the calls including from Labour's Shadow Minister in Westminster (below).

The Irish government is showing Wales up too:

BBC News - Fracking for gas prompts Irish government study - while Welsh Government ducks the issue bbc.in/p3yP8P

Shale gas fracking: UK government policy call - BBC News 31 July 2011 By Caroline Rigby

Shadow UK Energy Minister Huw Irranca-Davies has called for the UK government to devise a policy on shale gas.

The UK's lack of fracking regulation is insane | George Monbiot: Guardian