24 September 2015
Government pulling a fracking fast one
Fracking, the controversial method of drilling and extracting gas from underground rock, could be coming to St Helens – at least if the Tories and their cronies in the energy industry have their way.
That’s the warning from St Helens Green Party this week as the deadline looms for responses to the government’s deliberately low-key public consultation exercise.
The government recently proposed certain areas for ‘fast track’ fracking licences, including parts of St Helens borough. And, with a deadline of Tuesday 29 September, time is running out for local residents to have their say.
Rachel Parkinson, St Helens Green Party’s fracking and energy spokeswoman, explains:
“There’s no time to waste. If you value the air that you breathe, the water you drink and the environment you live in, then please act now.
“Fracking is seen by some – corporations, their puppet politicians and others who will never have to live near a fracking site – as a cheap replacement for dwindling North Sea supplies. And a big pay day for them all.
“That’s why the government ignores the evidence about risks associated with fracking, and listens only to industry propaganda and fantasy figures.
“But it’s little more than a desperate and dangerous attempt to mop up the last fossil fuels available – a short-term dash for gas with potentially catastrophic long-term consequences for our local environment and the climate.
“And let’s be absolutely clear: fracking will not reduce energy bills or create many local jobs. Even the government’s own advisers reckon our continued reliance on gas will push up bills by hundreds of pounds more than if there was a shift towards low carbon alternatives.
“So let’s send a very clear message to the government and big business: keep your fracking hands off St Helens!”
Details of how to take part in the consultation are on the St Helens Green Party website
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