Scarborough gas rig plans opposed by local council
Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume and David Skaith, elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, have also objected to the plans.The proppant squeeze technique has been described as "small-scale fracking" and has been accused by some of being a loophole in the UK's moratorium on the fossil fuel extraction process.Friends of the Earth wrote to North Yorkshire Council notifying it of the legal opinion it had obtained that said that proppant squeeze qualifies as fracking under relevant planning policy, and that it must be considered as such when the council considers Europa's application for planning permission.
Proppant squeeze procedures have been regularly used in the UK for several years, and industry experts consider the technique low volume, unlike the process formally termed 'hydraulic fracturing', according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Friends of the Earth lawyers also wrote to Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy, urging him to close a loophole in the current fracking moratorium "as a matter of urgency".The environmental group said that having different definitions for fracking is creating confusion, and that the moratorium must be widened to cover all types of fracking, regardless of the volume of the injected fluid.Europa has maintained that "it is a misconception that there is a loophole" in the fracking moratorium.The application is currently under consideration by North Yorkshire Council, with consultee responses awaited.
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South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
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