Labour's position on fracking following increasing queries

Gas has a role to play in a future balanced energy mix, along with renewables, nuclear and CCS. However, shale gas is unlikely to be a game changer for consumer bills or energy security and there are important regulatory questions which must be answered before large-scale extraction can begin. 

Environmental Regulation and Monitoring 

• Concerns about the safety and environmental impact of shale gas extraction are valid. The appropriate response to such concerns is to ensure that we have the right regulatory and monitoring framework in place before large-scale fracking begins.  

• It is not just the robustness of the regulation, but the comprehensiveness of the monitoring that is important. Assurances are required from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency that they will be able to carry out such monitoring.  

• Labour have set out 6 regulatory conditions that must be met before Shale Gas extraction can proceed: 

1. Evidence of seismic activity led to the suspension of operations in Lancashire in 2011. As Labour set out in an article for Business Green on 7 March 2012, baseline conditions should be assessed prior to any exploratory work with micro-seismic monitoring, in order to discriminate natural from artificially induced seismic events once the drilling begins. An early warning detection system should also be implemented, similar to that used in the Netherlands and Germany, which would allow measures to be taken before seismic activity has a noticeable impact. 

2. There has been a lack of transparency and control in the USA on exactly what is being used to fracture shale rocks and extract the resulting gas. In the UK, the chemicals used must be restricted to those that are proven to be non-hazardous. Further, there should be mandated disclosure of all the chemicals to be used in fracking, including their toxicity levels. 

3. The integrity of each shale gas well must be assured to prevent water contamination. An independent assessment of the well design, the cement bond between the casing and well bore, in addition to the composition of the casing to determine its ability to resist corrosion, is essential.  

4. The level of methane in groundwater should also be assessed prior to any drilling. Methane can occur naturally in groundwater, but there is concern from the experience in the USA that it may occur as a result of fracking. In each case, that needs to be assessed prior to any activity, so there is robust baseline information to monitor against. 

5. All potential shale exploration sites should be subject to screening for an environmental impact assessment – at present, those below one hectare do not need to undertake such an assessment. This assessment should include the level of water used, how much can be recycled and the availability of water in each case. 

6. All of the monitoring activity referred to above should take place over a twelve month period, to allow sufficient time to gather all of the evidence required to make an informed decision on whether to proceed with exploration. 

• Since Labour announced this position, the Government has conceded on 4 of the 6 points we made last December. They have not included the baseline survey of methane being assessed prior to drilling, and they have not specified that the monitoring activity should take place over a 12 month period. Further, concerns remain, particularly regarding the effectiveness of the monitoring process and the capacity of the relevant bodies to undertake that monitoring if there is further exploration of shale gas.  

Time Scale 

• To date, only a small number of exploratory licenses have been issued. 3 onshore exploratory wells have been drilled.  

• Shale is covered by the normal UK regime for all oil and gas exploration and development. A UK Petroleum Exploration and Development licence (PEDL) allows a company to pursue a range of exploration activities, including exploration and development of unconventional gas, subject to necessary drilling/development consents and planning permission. 

• A separate license will be required for full-scale fracking, meaning that it is unlikely that Shale Gas could be extracted in meaningful quantities before the next general election.  

Tax Breaks 

• George Osborne has announced that has production profits from shale will initially be taxed at just 30%. At present, gas production profits are taxed at 62%, rising to 81% in some North Sea cases when the Supplementary Charge and corporation tax are combined. 

• Labour does not believe that announcing tax breaks before properly addressing legitimate environmental concerns is an appropriately proportionate and cautious approach to shale gas. 

• The Chancellor argues that these tax incentives are required to stimulate a market dealing with a number of unknowns – size and recoverability of resources, regulatory framework, etc – while Labour argues that it is precisely these issues that need to be clarified before there is any consideration of advantageous tax treatment. The economic cost of extraction of shale is one factor which companies with licences will need to consider. The case for differential allowances for marginal fields, as in the North Sea, may be relevant for atypical fields but should not be the norm. 

The Example of the US 

• Shale Gas extraction in the US has driven down the cost of energy for consumers and businesses, providing a competitive advantage to some industrial sectors and therefore to the wider economy.  

• However, this has in part been the result of the fact that the US is not able to export gas. As supply increases in this closed market the cost correspondingly decreases. By contrast, the UK is well-connected to the European gas network. The cost-reducing benefits of an increase in supply will be shared with the rest of the continent, dissipating the impact, particularly as extra-Europe demand for gas is likely to increase rather than decrease. 

• The benefit to the UK is more likely to be in relation to energy security as an indigenous source of energy will make us less reliant on foreign imports, particularly as our own North Sea gas reserves are declining and we now import more gas than we produce – a position which has changed over the last 10 years. 

• The geography of the two countries also makes exploration less likely than in the UK. Many of the areas in the US where production does take place are largely deserted, however in the UK we are more densely populated which will impact upon exploration and extraction permissions from local authorities. 

• So a simplistic extrapolation of the US experience of shale gas is not an informed contribution to the debate. 

Shale Gas and Renewables 

• A frequent objection to shale gas is that it will divert investment from renewable energy and lock the UK into a fossil fuel industry.   

• The Government have perpetuated this line of thinking by establishing a false opposition between shale gas extraction and renewable investment, suggesting that they back ‘cheap gas’ over ‘expensive green’. 

• The Labour Party reject this dichotomy. Gas will continue to play a part of our short and medium term energy mix and meeting this obligation will require some investment. There is no reason why this should preclude heavy investment in renewable generation, which represents the long-term future of our energy sector. 

• This is also why it is important that there are other signals from the government towards a low carbon generation mix, and why we are committed to a 2030 decarbonisation target.  

• Possible extraction of shale gas is not inconsistent with the binding carbon targets the UK has legislated for – we will continue to need gas for peaking capacity, and as a source for heating.  

The Case for Shale Gas 

• Despite these concerns, Shale Gas nevertheless remains a positive potential opportunity for the UK, one that we should not dismiss. 

• With around 80% of houses using gas for heating, we will continue to need gas in the UK for some years to come. 

• Shale gas is not the silver bullet for all of our energy needs as the Chancellor and others seem to suggest. Nor is it likely to be extracted in great volumes in the immediate future. However, while it is right to be cautious and proportionate in our approach to shale gas exploration, we should not rule out the use of an indigenous source of gas to replace the depleted North Sea gas reserves and displace some of the gas we currently import and improve our security of supply, so long as it can be extracted safely.  

Full Council - 12th September 2013

The next meeting of the full Council will take place on Thursday 12th September at 7.00pm at Accrington Town Hall. Members of the public are welcome to come and watch proceedings from the gallery and a full set of papers can be found here:

Council - 12th September 2013

Mum's the Word in Accrington!

Mum’s the Word is coming to Accrington. This successful initiative set up by Rachel Rhodes and Caroline Fotios has been such a huge hit in Blackburn they want to extend into Hyndburn. The project involves collecting old textiles, especially school uniforms and selling them at a fraction of the usual cost. The scheme helps hard pressed families and benefits the environment as it prevents old uniforms and clothes going to landfill.

The project relies on members of the public donating their old school uniforms and textiles and a series of collection points will be available throughout the Borough in public buildings and schools for people to visit.
Caroline and Rachel will be in Accrington Market Hall on Saturday 7th September promoting the scheme, so people can come and visit to see what it’s all about. There will be a collection point available also so people can bring their uniforms and textiles. These will be advertised in due course with the plan being to open a unit in the Arndale Centre in Accrington where the pre-loved clothing can be sold.

Caroline said: “We have been overwhelmed by the success of the project. There is a real interest from families and everyone has been extremely supportive. We are really looking forward to establishing a base in Hyndburn. Mum’s The Word is a service for the local community, we’re constantly on the lookout for donations of school clothes, shoes and other equipment, to replenish the store. If you have any old blazers, shirts, ties, books, stationery or even tupperware, lying around the house, please drop them off at the shop, so that they can go to a good home.”

Councillor Clare Pritchard, Deputy Leader of the Council said “Mum’s The Word is a fantastic initiative, which will benefit the wider community. We are working in partnership to ensure this scheme is a success here in Hyndburn.”

To donate any unwanted school uniforms and activity items, please call Caroline or Rachel on 07968 802824 .

Rishton: Man fined for dirty back yard

A Rishton man has been found guilty by magistrates of failing to comply with an abatement notice ordering him to remove rubbish from the back yard of his property on Spring St in the town.

Council Enforcement Officers visited 41 year old Jason Lee Barbour’s property after complaints and saw an accumulation of many bags of rubbish in the back yard there.

After requests by Council enforcement officers to clean up the mess were ignored, they served Mr Barbour with an abatement notice which he also ignored and therefore he was summoned to court where he was convicted in his absence and ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £1330.

Cllr Clare Pritchard, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environmental Issues said; “The backyard of this property on Spring St was a mess.  We gave Mr Barbour plenty of chances to get it cleared but when he failed to do so we’ve issued an abatement notice which he’s ignored and so we’ve taken him to court.  Again this case serves as a reminder to all those who don’t clear up their rubbish, we won’t tolerate it and will take you to court if necessary where you could face big fines and costs.”

HBC free dog chipping sessions

The Council’s Dog Warden service has joined forces with the Dog’s Trust to offer free micro chipping sessions for dogs.

The sessions will take place on 12th and 26th September, from 11am to 3pm in the Tesco Extra car park on Eagle St Accrington.

Micro chipping your pet gives them the best chance of being identified and returned to you if they become lost or stolen. A tiny microchip is inserted under the animal’s skin, which gives the pet their own unique code. The microchip can be scanned and matched to the owner’s contact details, which are kept on a database.

The law is changing and from 6th April 2016 micro chipping will be compulsory for all dog owners in England, so why not get ahead of the game and bring your dog along to one of the sessions.  There’s no need to book just turn up and join the queue.

Residents urged to manage their waste responsibly

Cllr Paul Cox, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, spoke today about accompanying the Council’s Enforcement Teams on their rounds.

Cllr Cox said; “Just recently I’ve been out and about with our busy Enforcement teams who are working on a rolling programme across the Borough to help residents manage their waste more effectively.  Recycling as much waste as possible is so important, not only for the sake of the environment and future generations, but also to save money and keep Council Tax bills down, as sending waste to landfill is an expensive business – over £90 per tonne.”

Recently the enforcement team have been working in Rishton where they issued nine notices requiring people to clear up rubbish from around their properties, where residents have dumped rubbish filled black bags or fly tipped bulky items. In these cases, as with many others we’ve dealt with in the past, if the mess is not cleared up, we will clean it up ourselves and if necessary take those responsible to court, where they could face hefty fines and clean-up costs.  Our bulky items collection services is free, just call us on 388111 to book a collection.”

Cllr Cox continued; “If a resident’s bin goes missing we ask that they wait from date of notification a minimum of two weeks, the next bin cycle, to see if their bin is returned. Once we receive notification of a lost bin residents are entitled to leave out four refuse bags on the next due collection date. I would also just ask people to number their own bin to stop any confusion and bring it in as soon as possible after collection.”
And finally, I’d just like to thank the majority of our residents who already recycle enthusiastically and to remind everyone that our new and improved service means that there are now even more items you can recycle, as well as the usual plastic bottles, paper, textiles, cardboard and glass jars residents can now recycle things such as plastic yoghurt pots and meat trays, margarine tubs, Tetra Pak and even household batteries.”

Immanuel: Colette McCormack confirmed at 2014 election candidate

Immanuel Councillor Colette McCormack has been confirmed as the Labour choice for election candidate in that ward in 2014. Colette has been involved in Oswaldtwistle community work for many years now and completed a year-long engagement as Hyndburn Mayor in 2011-12.

At the official selection meeting, the Oswaldtwistle Labour branch also reaffirmed their support for Graham Jones MP when he stands for election again in 2015.