Government commissions report into effects of ‘fracking’

A SCOTTISH university is to undertake a state-ordered report into a controversial gas extraction method known as “fracking” to determine potential environmental impacts and will be completed early next year.

Responding to concerns raised to him, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a study on the effects of fracking. The EPA commissioned experts at the University of Aberdeen at a cost of €6,000.

Fracking, which involves using water to fracture rocks to drill for natural gas, is causing concern among people in the mid and northwest about the potential environmental and health considerations related to the activity.

Countries worldwide have taken a wide range of positions towards regulation of the activity, ranging from France, where it is banned, to the USA and Canada, where extraction is permitted on a commercial scale. Fracking has allegedly caused huge water pollution problems in the US.

The EPA said that any commercial fracking would have to be licensed by the agency.

A spokesperson said: “While such activity is not likely to occur in the near future, it is likely that permits for exploration in the Lough Allen basin may be sought from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in the next two years, and such permits may seek to perform this activity on a smaller scale as part of the exploration.

“Such permits may seek approval to use hydraulic fracturing techniques. This method of gas extraction has never previously been used in Ireland.”

Companies looking at tapping into reserves in the region say gas could potentially be worth tens of billions in this country.

The current study, will provide information on:

* Potential environmental impacts of fracking, in particular, and shale gas extraction in general.

* Potential for methane and chemical migration into groundwater as a result of fracking.

* Role of local geology in successful fracking and shale gas extraction.

* Regulatory approaches taken in other countries where the fracking technique has been used.

* The best environmental practice for shale gas exploration and extraction using the fracking technique.

* Fracking without the use of chemicals and the reality of such a proposal.

The EPA said it would be a “statutory consultee” with respect to any environmental impact assessment required for shale gas projects at the exploration stage, and will therefore be required to gain expert knowledge on the environmental impacts in order to fulfil this role. This necessitated the commissioning of the study.