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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Press Release EKAF: Dover votes against Fracking

Dover District Council Votes Unanimously (but one!) to Oppose Fracking

On Wednesday, 27 November 2013 Dover District councillors voted almost unanimously to oppose fracking in our area, which we know to be geologically unsuitable for unconventional gas drilling.

This vote followed a Dover District Council (DDC) Scrutiny Committee hearing on 18 November at which studious citizen activists of Keep Shepherdswell Well and East Kent Against Fracking, along with parish councillors from the front line villages, and hydrogeologist, Graham Warren of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE- Kent), delivered a dozen carefully researched speeches which convinced the Scrutiny Committee to recommend that Dover District Council should oppose fracking.

Several DDC councillors who had attended the Scrutiny hearing praised the efforts of those who had addressed the Nov 18 hearing, and of District Clerk Rebecca Brough, who organised the administration of the Scrutiny Committee’s investigation into fracking. This involved inviting groups with views on the issue from all sides, including major stakeholders like Affinity Water, and of course the applicants themselves, Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd.

Sadly, neither Affinity Water nor CO&G Ltd attended these hearings. Whether this was  because the deliberations of the district council were felt to be beneath their concern, or because they may prefer to take refuge behind legislation that would minimise any responsibility for damage caused by drilling, we cannot say. Certainly, Scrutiny Committee Chair George (Jim) Hood had comments to make about their absence.

Consequently all the arguments before the Scrutiny committee showed that fracking for any unconventional gas extraction through the chalk aquifer under East Kent presents unavoidable risk of irreversible pollution to the area’s primary water resource. Councillors were also convinced by our arguments outlining potential damage in terms of traffic, noise, air pollution, risk to natural habitat and marring of the rural beauty of the area upon which its tourism income is based.

Having heard our case with increasing awareness, DDC councillors were largely unimpressed by the familiar half-truths we have all heard from central government and the gas industry, about ‘no cases of harm caused by fracking’ and the promise of jobs and economic revival through gas exploitation, that were put forward by the one councillor who spoke up against the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendation. It was gratifying to hear councillors using our arguments to rebut his statement.

Keep Shepherdswell Well and East Kent Against Fracking will continue to use this straightforward democratic approach of researching the facts and telling the truth; it seems to be working so far. The difference in our case is that we knew enough to oppose it at parish level before it could go through on the nod. We have an excellent team of committed local residents with an amazingly fortuitous mix of skills and talents for creating a convincing case. Is that enough to stand up to the would-be frackers and the powers that be? Time will tell. For now, all local campaigners can chalk up another victory for the protectors of the chalk aquifer.

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Press Release - Coastal withdraws from Kent... for now

PRESS RELEASE
EAST KENT AGAINST FRACKING
CONTROVERSIAL DRILLING PLANS WITHDRAWN!
Friday, November 08 2013

Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd has abandoned plans to drill for coal bed methane gas in 3 east Kent villages.

The news was broken to the campaign group East Kent Against Fracking yesterday in an e-mail from Sharon Thompson, Head of Planning Applications at Kent County Council (KCC) explaining that the company had withdrawn its planning applications to drill exploratory boreholes at Shepherdswell, Tilmanstone and Guston after recent requests were made to provide further information about issues raised during the planning process.

Julie Wassmer, vice chair of East Kent Against Fracking, said: "On October 14th the Environment Agency wrote letters to KCC regarding each of the sites, stating that Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd had not provided sufficient information with their applications and the Environment Agency was therefore 'unable to advise whether or not the environment (in particular groundwater quality) can be protected from this development.' The agency further recommended that planning permission should not be granted on the basis of the information provided and that if the new information was not forthcoming, then the Environment Agency 'would be minded to object to the application.'" Ms Wassmer claims "The company's withdrawal of its applications clearly demonstrates that it was unable to satisfy the demands for information about how Kent water could be protected from contamination by drilling in this area. This is a victory in the sense that yesterday we had three applications for drilling in East Kent and today we have none."

All four parish councils relating to the 3 sites opposed the applications. The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (Kent) opposed the applications. Further campaign groups sprang up in the villages to oppose the applications (Keep Shepherdswell Well and Eythorne in the Side of the Drilling etc) and Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke also spoke out against the applications on site specific concerns relating to the threat to the local Chalk aquifer.

Rosemary Rechter, chair of EKAF said, "We are delighted to have won the first round, and want to thank all the people who have worked so hard to understand the true facts about this industry, and to share those facts. This industry will not provide jobs and cheap energy but will threaten our water and industrialise our countryside so the battle will go on."

KCC confirms that no further action will be taken on the planning applications. Any new applications will be subject to the necessary consultations and publicity.

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EKAF PR: Local Opposition mounts to Drilling Applications

EAST KENT AGAINST FRACKING PRESS RELEASE - Monday 28th October 2013

LOCAL OPPOSITION MOUNTS TO DRILLING APPLICATIONS After 4 east Kent parish councils recently voted against applications for exploratory drilling at 3 sites in east Kent, a new campaign group has sprung up in one of the affected villages. Eythorne, which together with Tilmanstone, Guston and Shepherdswell parish councils opposes planning applications by Coastal Oil & Gas Ltd, has created its own group and a website called Eythorne in the Side of Drilling.

http://eythorneinthesideofdrilling.org/ 

This follows the formation of another village campaign group Keep Shepherdswell Well which has just published its second letter Newsletter. (See attachment).
 http://www.keepshepherdswellwell.org/latest-news-2/ 

Julie Wassmer Vice Chair of East Kent Against Fracking says "Local MP Charlie Elphicke opposes these applications on site specific concerns and Kent County Council recently cancelled a public meeting as well as deferring a site meeting for its planning committee members after the Environment Agency wrote that it was '…unable to advise whether or not the environment (in particular groundwater quality) can be protected from this development.' I was told by KCC's Chief Planning Officer Sharon Thompson that no decision can now be made by KCC's planning committee until 2014 which is a significant step forward for campaigners considering original deadline given by KCC for consultation was October 6th."

Pam Mudge Wood a member of both EKAF and Keep Shepherdswell Well says 'the delay allows villagers to access more information and a number of activities are now planned to raise local awareness of the negative impact of the drilling. These include letter writing clinics and screenings of "Fracking in the UK - The Truth Behind the Dash for Gas" by Marco Jackson on Saturday 2 Nov, 2-4pm and Friday 8 Nov, 7:30 - 9:30 pm. At the weekend we will also be embarking on door-to-door canvassing of Shepherdswell and Coldred Parish, knocking on doors, not just dropping in letterboxes, with a hard-hitting leaflet urging villagers to write letters and attend the films. We will be offering a simple letter to sign on the doorstep to register support for the parish council decision and the report upon which it was based, as well as a copy of our latest newsletter."

 Rosemary Rechter, Chair of EKAF said 'I am very pleased to see local people organising themselves so well to fight the applications. We have also had a number of requests from our members to stage further public meetings in east Kent following our successful meeting at Dover Town Hall on October 16th. There may be a delay in the planning process but I would warn everyone against resting on their laurels. We have won two rounds with all four parish councils deciding against the applications, and the Environment Agency demanding clarification from Coastal Oil & Gas Ltd, but the fight is by no means over."

EKAF Press Release 21/10 - East Kent says NO to test boreholes

PRESS RELEASE  Monday 21^st October 2013

EAST KENT SAYS NO TO BOREHOLES!

During a week when Dover MP Charlie Elphicke shared his concerns with East Kent Against Fracking (EKAF) regarding the possible contamination of an aquifer supplying 70% of the county’s water, 2 parish councils voted against applications for exploratory boreholes in East Kent.

On Monday 14^th October, Mr Elphicke met with EKAF’s Vice Chair Julie Wassmer in Westminster and said ‘the energy resource is a huge opportunity but I’ve always said we must balance this with the risk to the aquifer and the risk is too great.’

On Tuesday 15th October Guston Parish Council voted to reject the applications, with Shepherdswell following suit on Wednesday (16^th October). Shepherdswell villager Pam Mudge-Wood said ‘Keep Shepherdswell Well’, our local anti-drilling campaign group, is delighted with the result but we must emphasise to our village that we should still write and submit letters of objection to Kent County Council by Nov 15th.  We are delighted to have our Parish Council's support!” (NB SEE FULL STATEMENT FROM PAM MUDGE-WOOD BELOW.)

Ms Mudge-Wood and other villagers left the Shepherdswell Parish Council meeting early to break the news to EKAF which was holding its own public meeting on the same evening at Dover Town Hall.

EKAF Chair Rosemary Rechter said “We were extremely pleased by the Shepherdswell vote and our meeting proved to be a very informative, if disturbing evening. Ex-oil company executive Ian R. Crane explained the context and gave a very full account of the downside of this technology, citing countless examples of water contamination, and damage to the environment and health of people in the U.S. and Australia.  He also pointed out that the industry could cover 65% of the country. Graham D. Warren of CPRE Kent explained why the local geology presented a very high risk of water contamination and seismic events and Sue Taylor, a Balcombe resident, spoke movingly of the birds that had vanished from her garden and the effects of noise and vibration from drilling there. She explained that most villagers welcomed the protection camp and her personal account of the events at Balcombe praised the demonstrators, offering a very different account to that which people have seen on the TV. We were grateful for the attendance of district councilors including Cllr James Back (Con) and Cllr Peter Wallace (Lab) who also shared their concerns.”

200 people attended the meeting after which a show of hands revealed that only one person remained in favour of the unconventional gas/oil industry.

Thanet Green Party Councillor and EKAF member Ian Driver said "A Freedom of Information request made by the Green Party reveals that Kent County Council has invested £153million of its pension fund in companies which carry out fracking across the world. It is massive conflict of interest for KCC to decide on planning applications that could lead to fracking, when it is simultaneously investing in this extremely dangerous and damaging industry. KCC should do the right thing and sell off its shares in the fracking companies".

KCC has now cancelled a public meeting which was due to be held on 7^th November. Julie Wassmer said “Sharon Thompson, Head of KCC Planning Applications, has confirmed to me that because of the many questions raised, from both the public and councillors, KCC now says it requires more information from Coastal Oil & Gas Ltd and that there will be no decision made by the KCC Planning Committee until at least the New Year regarding these applications.”

EAST KENT GAS EXPLORATION – THE DEBATE BEGINS

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 16^th September 2013

EAST KENT GAS EXPLORATION – THE DEBATE BEGINS

Hundreds of people will be attending public meetings this week to discuss three controversial planning applications to allow exploratory drilling for coal and shale bed methane gas at the East Kent villages of Shepherdswell, Guston and Tilmanstone(1)

On Monday 17 September Tilmanstone Parish Council meets to discuss an application to drill on the village’s former colliery site. It is expected that neighbouring Eythorne Parish Council will also meet shortly to discuss the same application. On Wednesday 18th September Shepherdswell Parish Council is meeting to consider an application for test drilling near to the village. On Thursday 19th September, there will be a village meeting at Guston to discuss a similar application (2).

Dover District Council will be discussing a motion calling for a full report on the implications of the planning applications at its meeting on 18th September (3).

Protect Kent, an affiliate of the charity Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has issued a statement expressing its concerns about the planning applications and will be holding a public meeting for residents of Guston, Shephersdswell and Tilmanstone on 25th September (4).

The applications have been submitted to Kent County Council by Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd, which already has permission to conduct exploratory gas drilling at nearby Woodnesborough.

KCC Principal Planning Officer Mike Clifton has confirmed to campaign group East Kent Against Fracking (EKAF) that the deadline for raising objections to be addressed in the committee report will now be Friday 15th November, not 6th October as previously posted.

EKAF and the Kent Green Party strongly oppose the applications. Chair of EKAF, Rosemary Rechter said 'we understand from Graham D Warren, hydrogeologist of CPRE Protect Kent Environment that exploratory drilling could pollute the Chalk Aquifer which lies beneath the drilling sites and provides water for thousands of homes in Kent.’(5) EKAF Vice Chair, Julie Wassmer pointed out that 'additional vehicle movements and noise and light pollution resulting from 24 hour drilling operations will industrialise the East Kent countryside, causing property blight for residents and harm to local wildlife.’ Green councillor, Ian Driver warned 'If gas is discovered and permission is granted for extraction, this may lead to full-blown fracking which will cause serious damage to the entire area.'(6)

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Notes

(1) The planning applications can be seen at

http://host1.atriumsoft.com/ePlanningOPSkent/loadFullDetails.do?aplId=53907

      http://host1.atriumsoft.com/ePlanningOPSkent/loadFullDetails.do?aplId=53927

      http://host1.atriumsoft.com/ePlanningOPSkent/loadFullDetails.do?aplId=53947

Coastal Oil and Gas already has KCC planning permission to conduct exploratory gas drilling at Woodnesborough nr. Sandwich see http://host1.atriumsoft.com/ePlanningOPSkent/loadFullDetails.do?aplId=34407)

(2) Tilmanstone Parish Council 16^th September, Tilmanstone Village Hall 7pm contact Parish Clerk Mrs Cathy Skinner 01304 830200. Shepherdswell Parish Council Wednesday 18^th September 7pm Shepherdswell Parish Hall contact Parish Clerk Steven Durbidge 01304 830242. Guston residents meeting Thursday 19^th September Burgoyne Community Centre from 7.30pm CT15 5LY Parish Clerk Glynis Farthing gustonparishclerk@btinternet.com

(3) Dover District Council meeting 6pm Wednesday 18th September will be discussing the following motion

“This Council is concerned by the prospect of fracking and related drilling activity in the Dover District area and requests that a report is brought forward to the next meeting of this Council to inform the Council of the nature of the process, the potential impact on subsurface water resources and geological formations, the type and scale of the surface structures, and the impact of anti-fracking demonstrations in the light of recent experience in Sussex on the local communities and on the police."

(4)  CPRE Protect Kent public meeting Wednesday 25^th September 7.15pm Shepherdswell Village Hall. CPRE statement on the planning applications can be seen here http://protectkent.org.uk/blog/fracking-coming-kent/

(5)  Briefing document by hydrogeologist Graham D. Warren of CPRE – Protect Kent Environment warning of the risk of contamination to the Chalk Aquifer. (Attached Item 1)

(6)  Single page bullet point summary about dangers of Coal Bed Methane Gas (CBM) – exploration and extraction.  (Attached Item 3)

(7)  Photograph of EKAF committee members. EKAF Chair Rosemary Rechter 4th from left. (Attached Item 4)

 

THREAT TO EAST KENT WATER FROM FRACKING COMPANY

PRESS RELEASE -EAST KENT AGAINST FRACKING

THREAT TO EAST KENT WATER FROM FRACKING COMPANY

Monday 9^th September 2013

Irreversible contamination to a major east Kent water source could result if plans are allowed to go ahead for a fracking company to drill for methane gas in east Kent. 

Hydrogeologist Graham D Warren of CPRE (Protect Kent Environment) gave this warning to campaign group East Kent Against Fracking after 3 planning applications for exploratory drilling were recently submitted to Kent County Council by Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd

East Kent Against Fracking (EKAF) strongly oppose the applications claiming that drilling will raise even more environmental concerns than contamination of domestic water supply. Chair of EKAF Rosemary Rechter said “we understand from Mr Warren that there is a high risk of methane and other constituent 'free' gases being mobilised by this exploratory drilling which could subsequently migrate into the Chalk aquifer on which the 3 sites at Tilmanstone, Guston and Shepherdwell are located. As the contamination of this aquifer would impact on a significant proportion of water consumers in east Kent this is something which potentially affects all of us - not just those residents close to the 3 sites. However, there will be associated burdens upon the local communities situated close to the drilling operations, as we have seen at Balcombe in Sussex – where an exploratory drilling operation is also being conducted.’ Mrs Rechter cited 24 hour drilling operations, excessive noise, light pollution, banishment of local wildlife, heavy vehicle traffic and damage to roads as well as property blight for residents. Mrs Rechter also explained ‘although the current applications before KCC are for exploration only, should Coastal Oil and Gas succeed in finding coalbed methane gas, or any other unconventional gas, it will of course progress to exploitation with all its attendant risks: possible subsidence, earthquakes, major disruption and industrialisation of the garden of England as well as economic loss to tourism and agriculture.’

Vice Chair of EKAF Julie Wassmer explained,  ‘homeowners close to areas involved in unconventional gas drilling operations can find themselves trapped in a home they cannot sell, re-mortgage, insure or develop but EKAF is determined that this message will go out loud and clear to the residents of East Kent.’ Ms Wassmer said there was also considerable concern that the consultation period for the current planning applications was too short and needed to be extended beyond the 6^th October deadline. ‘These applications concern a major and controversial development with a potential to impact negatively on public health and water supplies. Concerning no less than 3 sites they also have a cumulative effect.

Waste from these sites may have to be disposed of outside of the county, affecting residents in other parts of the UK and so inviting objections nationwide. I understand from Cllr Ian Driver that KCC officers are expecting to receive comments from ‘far and wide’ so I strongly suggest it would be wise for KCC to set a precedent to extend the consultation period not only to prevent a burden on local officers but to allow time for crucial baseline assessments of local and air and water to be taken by the appropriate agencies. If these applications are seen by local people to be rushed through by KCC, or a decision buried in the run up to the Christmas period, it would be fair to say protest would ensure east Kent could well become the next Balcombe.’  

Graham Warren confirmed in a written statement that there was a high risk of contamination of the Chalk aquifer ‘notwithstanding the best efforts of the Regulators to ensure compliance by the operators with the necessary protective measures.’ He added ‘We are surprised that any Shale Gas development could be contemplated, given the hydrogeological regime of the three sites selected for eventual fracking operations. The Chalk Aquifer of East Kent supports a high density of public supply boreholes and forms part of the North Downs groundwater resource which supplies at least 70% of Kent’s domestic and commercial requirements.’

End of Press Statement