Responding to the Government announcement today (Wednesday 18 December 2013) allowing fracking firms to drill for gas and oil under peoples’ homes without notifying the owner personally, Friends of the Earth energy campaigner Tony Bosworth said: “People should be notified personally if firms want to drill or frack for oil and gas under their homes – removing that right is a further blow to local communities who are rightly concerned about the impacts of fracking.
“Earlier this week the Government accepted that fracking could have potentially significant local impacts. Ministers should be strengthening rules to protect local people, not weakening them in yet another sop to an industry that wants to keep us hooked on dirty fossil fuels.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. Planning Minster Nick Boles today announced that the oil & gas industry would no longer have to personally inform the ‘disproportionately large’ number of householders and businesses if drilling or fracking could take place below their properties as this would be ‘unnecessarily excessive’. Instead, companies will have to publish notices in local papers and put up displays in parishes. Written statement here.
2. For more than 40 years we’ve seen that the wellbeing of people and planet go hand in hand – and it’s been the inspiration for our campaigns. Together with thousands of people like you we’ve secured safer food and water, defended wildlife and natural habitats, championed the move to clean energy and acted to keep our climate stable. Be a Friend of the Earth – see things differently. For further information visit www.foe.co.uk
For press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
