Scottish Government to publish fracking research

The Scottish Government is expected to publish its evidence on shale gas fracking and coalbed methane in Parliament today. This will include a Public Health Impact Assessment and 5 reports assessing wider fracking industry impacts, including climate and economic.

Friends of the Earth Scotland are urging the Scottish Government to recall its climate commitments, the precautionary principle and the serious concerns of local communities when reviewing these studies, and work towards a ban on fracking and coalbed methane as soon as possible.

Friends of the Earth Scotland Head of Campaigns Mary Church said:

“We expect the research gathered by the Scottish Government will echo the growing body of evidence that documents the negative impacts of fracking on communities, public health, the environment and climate.

“As the Paris Climate Agreement entered into force last week with its commitment to keep warming under 1.5C, a radical change in our energy systems is needed. Nations must commit to leaving fossil fuels in the ground and we hope that the Scottish Government will put climate change at the forefront of its decision-making on fracking.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. A Ministerial Statement on Unconventional Oil and Gas will take place after 2pm on Tuesday 8th November: https://bb.parliament.scot/#20161108

2. The Scottish Government introduced a moratorium on onshore oil and gas extraction in January 2015, and commissioned a Public Health Impact Assessment and studies on climate impacts, economic impacts, transport impacts, seismic activity and decommissioning in October 2015.

Public Health Impact Assessment (Health Protection Scotland)
Climate Change Impact (UKCCC)
Economic Impact & Scenario Development (KPMG)
Understanding and Monitoring Induced Seismic Activity (BGS)
Understanding and Mitigating Community Level Impacts from Transportation (Ricardo)
Decommissioning, Site Restoration & Aftercare (AECOM)

For more info: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/onshoreoilandgas

The studies published tomorrow will inform a public consultation due to be held in winter 2016/17.

3. For more information on the moratorium in Scotland and the campaign to ban fracking: http://fossilfree.scot/stop-fracking/

4. Claudia Beamish MSP lodged a proposal for a Private Member's Bill to ban onshore unconventional oil and gas citing climate change impacts on Friday 4 November http://www.foe-scotland.org.uk/scot-labour-law-fracking

5. In June this year the Scottish Parliament voted to ban fracking and other forms of unconventional oil and gas extraction, with Labour, Green and Lib Dem MSPs voting together to defeat the Conservatives who opposed this move, and the SNP who abstained. The motion was non-binding on the Scottish Government http://www.foe-scotland.org.uk/PR-fracking-ban

6. Friends of the Earth Scotland is
* Scotland's leading environmental campaigning organisation
* An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland
* Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 75 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups.