Fracking dangers are unacceptable

WE at CELT (Centre for Environmental Living & Training) have been lobbying local TDs and councillors and calling for a ban on fracking in Clare and for the whole country.

It is our firm belief that the risks to human and animal health (through pollution of air and water) combined with the impact on the land (massive infrastructure and danger of earthquakes) are unacceptable. Clare is highly dependent on farming and tourism — with much investment in both these areas — and the risks to both are very serious.

Gas fracking is proven (in USA) to cause problems of pollution from a cocktail of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals released into the water-table and into the air and it is proven to cause earth tremors (admitted by gas companies operating in northern England). The infrastructure involves numerous well- heads (with approx 2km spacing), each having a concrete platform the size of a football pitch plus large holding or evaporation tanks and a collection lake for contaminated water (thousands of gallons are used at each well — brought in by a fleet of big haulage tankers).