Cuadrilla publishes environmental data from fracking site: opponents say company can’t be trusted
With thanks to Drill or Drop
CUADRILLA’S PORTAL
Month: April 2017
IMAGES FROM PRESTON NEW ROAD
Below the latest images from the PNR site today. (Click to enlarge)
Please share.
People need to understand just how large these fracking sites are and this is without any large equipment, noise and heavy traffic. This is without doubt large scale industry in the midst of our rural countryside. Please share and raise awareness of what fracking really means.
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STATEMENT FROM FFL FINANCE SUB – GROUP
STATEMENT FROM FFL FINANCE SUB GROUP
Mr. Gayzer Frackman has demanded to know how much is held in the Frack Free Lancashire Legal Fund and questioned the integrity of those involved in its collection and distribution.
It would be improper to disclose financial details in the public domain for obvious reasons; not least of which is disclosing such information to the industry. We can say though that the greater majority of the funds remaining in the Legal Fund after the Blackpool Public Inquiry have been “ring-fenced” for ongoing costs of the communities currently under threat of fracking at Preston New Road and Roseacre (including Mr. Jules Burton) in relation to Judicial Reviews. As they submit invoices they are paid out of the ring-fenced funds. This method acts as a clear audit trail whilst giving those communities and individuals reassurance in financial terms so they could pursue their actions and it has worked well.
A representative from PNRAG has said “We have a representative on the finance sub-group which oversees funding efforts and distribution of funds. It is good to know that there are ring fenced funds available to assist us.”
Mr. Burton has said “Without the security of the ring-fenced funds I could not have even considered making a legal challenge and I thank those kind supporters who made it possible”.
The balance of their ring-fenced funds were going to roll forward for the Roseacre re-opened public Inquiry, however Mr Burton submitted an application for a permitted hearing at the Manchester Court on 21 April and therefore FFL will continue to support our member in his endeavours.
A representative from RAG has said: “We are pleased to see that Mr. Burton has not been deterred following his application for a Judicial Review being refused. We wish him every success with his hearing and hope that the sitting Judge will see that Justice Dove’s dismissal was incorrect and allow the JR to proceed.”
For the record and by his own admission, Mr. Gayzer Frackman has not supported Frack Free Lancashire since 2015 (nor were FFL ever consulted about his case); that was of his own choosing, therefore the Frack Free Lancashire Legal Fund could not properly make any donation to his fundraising. He has alleged that the Legal Fund has supported our friends in Yorkshire but that is not true. Nothing that has been collected for the Frack Free Lancashire Legal Fund has been, nor could it be, donated to any Yorkshire group because they are also not members of Frack Free Lancashire individually or collectively. The truth is that Frack Free Greater Manchester collected in buckets themselves at the Manchester Rally in November 2016 and handed it to us on the day to be shared three ways, when counted, between PNR, Roseacre and Yorkshire. The donations (notes and coins) were counted after the Rally and paid into the Legal Fund account and a cheque for one third was sent to Frack Free Ryedale. Clearly notes and coins could not be sent by post.
We hope that this statement sets the record straight. All those who kindly and so generously donated to the Frack Free Lancashire Legal Fund can be assured that their donations have been, and will always continue to be, handled with the utmost propriety for members and groups of Frack Free Lancashire. We are now moving to a time when other Lancashire communities are under threat and it would be extremely sad for those communities if Mr. Frackman’s accusations in any way adversely affect future fundraising efforts under the well-known and respected Frack Free Lancashire banner.
Frack Free Lancashire
Finance Sub-Group
What You Need to Know About Fracking In Canada
To some, it’s an economic saviour. To others, it’s a threat to fresh water and yet another step toward climate change catastrophe. But many others don’t know what to think, especially when some provinces embrace fracking while others put a freeze on the practice.
To help you sort it out, we’ve put together this primer on what fracking really is, where it’s happening in Canada and what’s known (and not known) about the risks to the environment and human health.
Is it not better to invest in renewable energy instead of fracking?
There seems to be an erroneous belief that wind and solar energy cannot be stored. This is not true. Nuclear power plants don’t shut down at night irrespective of whether power is required or not. Excess power is used in pumped storage schemes where two linked reservoirs are used. In times of low demand water is pumped from a reservoir at a low level to one high above. In times of high demand water is released from the top dam to drive turbines on its way down to the lower dam. Such schemes are in daily use for our National Grid in Wales and Scotland.
I AM BRITAIN – I AM FRACK FREE
More than 900 peer-reviewed publications assessing the effects of shale gas development now exist, with more than 230 published so far in 2016. Of the peer-reviewed publications on the health effects of fracking, 86 percent found risks or adverse health outcomes. Maryland’s Institute for Applied Environmental Health (MIAEH) also concluded that risks to public health and the environment are “high” or “moderately high” in 7 of 8 areas studied. More than half of the peer-review publications have been released since MIAEH completed its study in the summer of 2014.
By Francis Leader
Why Cuadrilla’s fracking ‘megapads’ are a pipe dream
Egan said that Cuadrilla intend to float the company on the stock market if Lancashire exploration was successful, to raise funding. He said the company (currently financed by Cayman Islands-based Riverstone Holdings, and A J Lucas, an Australian company which is finding it hard to stay afloat without its Chinese backing, plus a minor stake by Centrica) would look to “go to equity markets or the debt markets to scale up”.
Statement issued on behalf of Frack Free Lancashire
It has come to our attention that certain individuals are using social media to try and undermine the efforts of Frack Free Lancashire, Friends of the Earth, and some of our most well respected anti fracking campaigners for their own purposes/agendas. Until now we have maintained a dignified silence but this has now become a serious matter and we are concerned that others, who do not know the background, will take these allegations at face value.
We do not understand why anyone within the anti fracking community would want to try and undermine the efforts of people fighting this industry. Not only is it divisive and dangerous but it plays into the hands of the industry who must remain the full focus of our attention if we are to stop fracking.
In particular there has been a serious allegation regarding the whereabouts of donations made to Frack Free Lancashire.
This is an extremely serious accusation. Frack Free Lancashire has always made it absolutely clear that all donations collected were to go into the Legal Fund and that is where every penny has gone. FFL wishes to assure everyone who has donated to the Frack Free Lancashire Legal Fund that they can be certain that their donations have ONLY been used and will continue to ONLY be used to directly support the legal challenges of members and their groups. We would like to thank all those people who have so kindly and generously donated to make the legal challenges possible.
We hope that this accusation and other allegations against individuals stop immediately. Online defamation is a serious offence and if it continues we will take legal advice/action.
Frack Free Lancashire is an umbrella for many anti fracking groups and individuals who are all working extremely hard to stop fracking in the UK. The FFL name is known and respected not only in the UK but worldwide. There is no hierarchy. Whilst we may not always agree we all work together and try to reach a consensus. There is no-one trying to control. There is no impropriety or substance to these allegations. It is by working together we remain strong. To try and destroy this is not only divisive but dangerous and damaging.
Rest assured we will carry on the fight. We believe in unity and will work to unite as many local groups as possible. We have strength in numbers. This is what the industry fears most. We will continue to help those groups who need it most such as the Preston New Road Action Group (PNRAG) and Roseacre Awareness Group (RAG) who are both under immediate threat and have fully embraced the ideology of a united Frack Free Lancashire.
Issued on behalf of Frack Free Lancashire
Judge blocks resident’s legal challenge over second Cuadrilla Lancashire fracking site
A Lancashire resident has been refused permission to take court action against the Communities’ Secretary, Sajid Javid, over Cuadrilla’s second Lancashire shale gas site at Roseacre Wood.
Jules Burton, who lives 500m from the site, heard this morning that his challenge had been blocked by the Honourable Mr Justice Dove. This is the High Court judge who on Wednesday dismissed two local challenges against Mr Javid over the Preston New Road fracking site. (Breaking news, details and the judge’s ruling)
Mr Burton said he was astonished by today’s news. He described the ruling as “not merely questionable but worrying in the extreme”.
He said it had “rendered the democratic decision process to nothing more than window dressing”.
Protester complains of police ‘assault’
A former naval officer has described being reduced to tears in pain following what he described as “assault” by a police officer during a demonstration at the Preston New Road fracking site in Lancashire.