EKAF BARHAM Meeting

Barham Hears The Truth About Fracking

A packed community hall in Barham was the scene for some revelations last Wednesday evening (5th March) about how the gas and oil industry might change the face of the Garden of England out of all recognition if they had their way.

East Kent Against Fracking (EKAF) organised the showing of an acclaimed documentary by filmmaker Marco Jackson, The Truth behind the Dash for Gas. The 100-strong audience saw the devastation caused in Queensland, Australia, by the gas industry with their thousands of well-heads dotted across the countryside. They also heard about the industry’s abysmal record of using new fracking technology in the UK so far and the damage caused to the housing market in Blackpool.

Graham Warren, a distinguished hydrogeologist and author of several studies on water resources in the South East, then made a presentation alerting East Kent residents to the specific risks of exploration for gas in the area of the former Kent coalfield, highlighting the impossibility of protecting the aquifer which supplies the whole county with over 70% of its water.

Pat Marsh, EKAF Secretary, then joined Mr Warren to answer questions from the audience at the end of the evening. She pointed out that Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd hold two licences for petroleum exploration and development in the Canterbury District and could apply to drill boreholes at any time.

Those attending the event gave generously to support EKAF’s campaign against the threat of turning “our green and pleasant land” into an uninhabitable toxic wasteland for our children and grandchildren.

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