Ireland Bans Fracking

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Ireland has become the latest European country to ban the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing or "fracking".

The upper house of the Irish government, the Seanad, passed legislation last week outlawing the gas recovery technique, a month after the House of Representatives--known as the Dail--did the same. The ban will be passed into law in the coming days, once the legislation is signed by President Michal D. Higgins. Ireland now joins Germany, France and Bulgaria outlawing onshore fracking. Ireland's neighbour, the U.K., where a number of licences have been granted, is fully supportive of fracking.

The Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Prohibition of Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing) Bill 2016 was brought forward a year ago by a member of the ruling minority Fine Gael party, Tony McLoughlin, on behalf of anti-fracking groups.

"This law will mean communities in the west and northwest of Ireland will be safeguarded from the negative effects of hydraulic fracking," he said after the legislation passed. "Counties such as Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan and Clare will no longer face negative effects like those seen in cities and towns in the United States, where many areas have now decided to implement similar bans to the one before us. If fracking was allowed to take place in Ireland and Northern Ireland, it would pose significant threats to the air, water and the health and safety of individuals and communities here."

In the U.K., the government is determined to exploit the nation's potential shale gas reserves. Last August, Industrial Info reported on how the new U.K. government under Prime Minister Theresa May wanted to speed up fracking by launching a scheme to pay local residents a share of the profits. The "Shale Wealth Fund" is believed to be in the region of £10,000 ($13,100) per household--or up to £10 million ($13.1 million) per community affected. For additional information, see August 12, 2016, article--U.K. to Pay Residents to Speed up Shale Gas Revolution.

Earlier this year, work started on the first horizontal fracking site in the U.K., following years of protests. Shale gas company Cuadrilla Resources (Lichfield, England) started work to prepare the site at Preston New Road in Lancashire, England, with fracking expected to begin later this year. For additional information, see January 13, 2017, article--Cuadrilla Starts Work on Major U.K. Fracking Project.

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