Second consultation on Cuadrilla’s Roseacre Wood site
Public consultation runs until 6 January
The Environment Agency has launched a second period of consultation on Cuadrilla’s applications for environmental permits for the proposed shale gas exploration site at Roseacre Wood, near Elswick in Lancashire.
The Environment Agency has since June been carrying out a rigorous assessment of Cuadrilla’s applications and the comments made by the public during the first period of consultation, which closed in August. Based on this assessment, the Environment Agency is minded to grant Cuadrilla the environmental permits needed to carry out their operations and welcomes any new relevant information for consideration before making a final decision.
The draft permits set out the conditions needed to protect groundwater, surface water and air quality and to ensure the safe storage, management and disposal of wastes. If the permits are issued, Cuadrilla would have to follow these strict conditions which will ensure that operations do not cause harm to people or the environment. The Environment Agency would rigorously enforce these conditions.
Steve Molyneux, Environment Agency Environment Manager for Lancashire, said:
Our regulatory controls for onshore oil and gas are in place to protect people and the environment. We will not permit activities that pose an unacceptable risk.
This further stage of consultation is important, it gives the public and interested groups an opportunity to see and have their say on the draft environmental permits before we make a final decision.
People can view the consultation documents online