GREEN PARTY WELCOMES ENVIRONMENT MINISTER’S REJECTION OF PROPOSAL FOR SHALE GAS EXPLORATORY WELL IN BELCOO Green Party Leader Steven Agnew MLA has welcomed Environment Minister Durkan’s decision to reject proposals for immediate exploratory drilling in Co Fermanagh to test for shale gas. Australian company Tamboran had applied to drill a bore hole to test for presence shale gas and the viability of future fracking on an industrial scale in the area. The company had hoped to proceed without the need for full planning permission; however, the Environment Minister concluded any drilling would require a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and planning permission. “I am delighted the Minister is now abiding by the will of the Assembly which supported and voted for my motion for a moratorium on fracking in December 2011,” Mr Agnew said. “This is also a victory for grassroots democracy and I want to commend all those people who for weeks have staged a peaceful and dignified protest at the gates of the Belcoo site. “Their commitment to this protest reflects the depth of feeling of local people who do not want fracking and all the negatives it brings with it destroying their community. “However, I would caution this is certainly not the end of the threat of fracking coming to Northern Ireland. “There are a number of other sites in Northern Ireland, like the one at Woodburn near Carrickfergus where the Minister has granted permission for an exploratory bore hole, which gas speculators want to exploit for their own profits. “This issue of fracking is too important in terms of environmental impact and potential negative consequences on human health for the Executive to continue to ignore. “The Green Party in Northern Ireland will continue to support other communities who are opposing fracking in their areas.”
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 16:45:58 +0000