Salford Council commits to tackle Air Pollution – now they must refuse Fracking, say Friends of the Earth
Commenting on news today (19 November) that Salford City Council has passed a motion, supported cross-party, which acknowledges serious air pollution and health problems in the city, and commits the council to take action (1), Helen Rimmer North West Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said: “It’s good news that Councillors have recognised the serious threat to health from poor air quality and have committed to action to reduce pollution. Salford has been at the centre of fracking protests from local residents concerned about air pollution, alongside risks of water contamination and climate change. The council must now listen to residents and the evidence of its impacts on air and health and say no to fracking.”
The European Commission has concluded that fracking has a “high risk” of air pollution (2) and evidence from the US has shown fracking increases benzene and methane levels that cause health problems (3).
Over 3000 Salford residents have signed a petition to the Mayor of Salford against fracking, and over six months after it was presented there has been no response from the Mayor.
The motion coincides with a ruling today by the European Court of Justice against the UK Government over its failures to comply with EU air pollution legal limits (4). The Court has ruled that the UK must act in order to clean up illegal levels of air pollution, including in the Greater Manchester Urban Area.
Addressing the problem of high levels of road traffic which cause air pollution, Ms Rimmer commented:
“Salford council must introduce policies to increase cycling, walking and public transport and ensure cleaner air.”
Ends
Contact for comments: Contact: Helen Rimmer, 07940 006783. Friends of the Earth North West
Notes
1. Motion debated by Salford Council for Council 19th November. (pdf)
2. The European Commission has stated there is ‘high risk’ from air pollution.
3. A pilot study from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention found dangerous levels of human exposures of benzene from shale gas sites, which is known to leak from wells, along with methane, during drilling and fracking operations – Esswien et al (2014) Preliminary Field Studies on Worker Exposures to Volatile Chemicals during Oil and Gas Extraction Flowback and Production Testing Operations
