The Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is sponsoring an invite only fracking workshop in London this Friday 15th Nov 2013 as part of its long term plan to introduce fracking in Ireland. It has already commissioned research to help 'determine best practice guidelines to regulate the shale gas industry in Ireland' (all their own words). There is no hint here fracking will NOT be allowed whatever the findings. This same body though is immune from prosecution under Irish law (See Box 1 below) making a mockery of it's regulatory role.
Related Links:
Indymedia Fracking page |
We are Awake, Informed and We are Saying No to Fracking |
Global Frackdown2 Day - Sat Oct 19th 2013 -Events in Carrick-on-Shannon, Drumshambo, Cahir and Clonmel |
Farmers tell G8 leaders: We support Farming not Fracking |
Fracking In Fermanagh. What could it mean? |
Fracking debris considered too radioactive even for waste site |
Statement from some of No Fracking Ireland on EPA 'consultation' process which ended today. | Twelve Canadians – Fracking: Experiments in Sacrifice Zones - Fear & Loathing in Canadian Frackland |
ShaleBubble.org -Explains the Ponzi dynamics of the Fracking industry
Anti-Fracking Groups:
ttp://nofrackingireland.wordpress.com/ -Campaign against Fracking (Shale Gas) in Lough Allen Basin |
http:://www.what-the-frack.org |
http://www.FrackingFreeIreland.org -Fracking Free Ireland |
https://sites.google.com/site/frackingireland/ -Fracking Ireland |
http://www.frackaware.com/wordpress/ -Fermanagh Fracking Awareness Network (FFAN) |
http://GoodEnergiesAlliance.com
http://www.LoveLeitrim.org |
http://NotForShale.com/ -Fracking covering Northern Ireland |
http://NoToFracking.com/ -No To Fracking
The EPA claims the workshop is a fracking health research workshop and out of it they will produce a scientific report to be published in a prominent scientific journal. The questions to be asked are how much of our taxpayers money is being used to fund this conference, and how transparent the "findings" will be. The fear is that this is an industry biased attempt by our pro unconventional gas Government to "whitewash" the health issues connected to the industry, and to parrot the corporate line of "robust regulations will minimize health risks to communities".
Given the pattern established already and the enthusiasm the Irish government and it's cronies are showing for Fracking, this conference is likely to be nothing more than a sham and it will attempt to use the reputation of scientific respectability, an area where the public still retains a certain measure of trust, to justify the rush to pollute vast areas of Ireland and enrich a small number of people in the process. Unfortunately in the past two decades science has increasingly become under corporate dominated interests and areas that intersect with money have suffered most and there are many scandals yet to come to light which will badly tarnish this last remaining corner of official respectability.
People think the EPA is there to regulate but what is increasingly becoming plainly evident in country after country around the world is that regulatory agencies are being 'captured' by corporations who pimp our elected representatives and engage in a revolving door policy between regulatory authorities and the boards of large multinational companies. This is now an everyday occurrence and is widespread. The influence and control is insidious and often hidden and subtle. The common thread is retain the facade of independence and scientific authority whilst things are different behind the scenes where the full range of techniques of influence go from sponsoring research, withholding negative results often with gag orders, share options, kick-backs and intimidation and threats against those who speak out and challenge the consensus. Academics are well known to be a conservative lot and are often reluctant to speak out if they feel they don't have the backing of their university/research administration who in these times of cutbacks and job-insecurity feel the winds of influence from officials higher up who can cut off or reduce funding. The worst and most powerful form of control is to be at the receiving end of industry backed media campaigns to tarnish their reputation and social standing.
We have seen this sort of behaviour for many years with the Tobacco industry and in the Climate denial industry but is a rampant phenomena whenever there is money to be made. Had we had a real functioning democracy and proper regulators during the property boom in Ireland and elsewhere, a lot of people who are now in crushing debt and suffering ill-health effects and that goes with it.
Today we have to seriously probe what is happening with Fracking in Ireland and Europe in general. The outcome will be devastated farm land poisoned by the seepage and contamination of fracking fluids, the destruction of our tourism, the loss of clean drinking water, inland fisheries and our reputation for a clean environment. And this can potentially happen over vast tracts of the countryside in Ireland because exploration licenses have already been handed out for the counties of Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Kerry and Cork.
It appears the aim of this conference and it must be stressed unlike science which is supposed to be open, this is closed, seems to be to pretend to do the research and due diligence but so far and this is what is happening in many other countries, it is all about public perception management while laying the ground work so that the industry can work away largely unhindered and without fear of legal challenges or opposition. The way these things work is that the findings are cherry picked and anything that would cast a bad light on it is denigrated as unscientific enough to be considered, even though usually the pro findings are the unscientific ones. Then these "findings" are used as the reference in any further debates whether on national TV, radio or any discussion in the media while in the background any necessary legislation is drafted with lots of assurances about protecting the public but when a critical eye is cast over the final outcome, one usually discover special clauses and protections for the vested interests.
EPA Immune from Prosecution Arising Out of "Environmental Protection"
By the terms of the 1992 EPA Act, the EPA is immune from prosecution and this removes any responsibility by them for decisions made, including decisions based on their Aberdeen report or outcome from their London conference, that would impact on the environment or on public health.
Relevant paragraphs in EPA Act 1992:
Para 15 – Immunity of Agency
“No action or other proceedings shall lie or be maintainable against the Agency or any body referred to in section 44 or 45 for the recovery of damages in respect of any injury to persons, damage to property or other loss alleged to have been caused or contributed to by a failure to perform or to comply with any of the functions conferred on the said Agency or body.”
Para 16 – Indemnification of Director General, directors and other persons.
“Where the Agency is satisfied that the Director General or other director or authorised person appointed by the Agency, or any other employee of the Agency has discharged his duties in relation to the enforcement of the relevant statutory provisions in a bona fide manner, it shall indemnify the Director General or other director or authorised person of the Agency or any other employee of the Agency, against all actions or claims howsoever arising in respect of the discharge by him of his duties.”
However they are aware of this implications of this as per:#
EPA Review report (2010) stated: “…doubts have been expressed about the constitutionality of this immunity and whether it is compatible with obligations arising under the European Convention on Human Rights. The Review Group concluded that the absolute nature of the EPA’s immunity … should be revised, as appropriate, when the opportunity arises.”
Phil Hogan, Minister for Environment: “The review recommended that immunity from prosecution, as applicable to the EPA in carrying out its functions, be reconsidered. As set out in the implementation plan, I propose to consider this issue, which is likely would require primary legislation if it is decided to progress it in the latter half of 2013.” (June 6th 2012)
Results from a University of Texas study of several incidents of possible contamination in the US show no confirmed evidence for ground water contamination from the subsurface fracking operation itself, but suggest leakage stemming from fracking-related waste water above ground (University of Texas, 2012).
Proposed location of just 13 fracking wells in Leitrim showing how the fracking wells are drilled out horizontal to cover a huge area and pollute the soil and contaminate the water. This will affect crops, livestock, drinking water, fisheries and more. If fracking is given free reign then we will see hundreds of these wells all over the country.
Areas Licensed in Ireland so far. More may be added.
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4Today's Call is a program from a local community radio station in San Franciso. Well worth listening to.
The talk is about the expansion of hydraulic fracturing with activists in Romania, Argentina, and Europe. Last month, activists from over 20 countries took to the streets to speak out against fracking. Where is it growing the fastest? Which companies are doing the fracking? And what can we learn from these grassroots movements?
http://cpa.ds.npr.org/kalw/audio/2013/11/111313yc.mp3
Embedded audio: http://cpa.ds.npr.org/kalw/audio/2013/11/111313yc.mp3
Former BP Geologist: Peak Oil Is Here and It Will 'Break Economies' an article from Common Dreams:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/12/24-0
Anyone who thinks fracking will contribute to the looming mess of the coming energy crisis, is living in cloud cuckoo land. Prof A Bartlett lecture can be found on You tube for those interested in the current position. He begins by stating that the biggest failure of the human race is its inability to understand the "exponential function" Go to this website and use it to combat the stupidity of fracking and the idiots that are now running the system.
Frackquakes. Two articles from totally different parts of the world.
From Eco News:
http://ecowatch.com/2014/01/27/frackquakes-opposition-b...gered
From the Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/caudrill....html
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