The Independent View: Scottish Government Bans Fracking

The Scottish Government announced that they would Ban Fracking in Scotland.

How Fracking or Hydraulic Fracturing Works: It involves Injecting a Mixture of Water, Sand, and Chemicals at High-Pressure into Rock Fissures Deep Underground to Release Gas trapped inside. It is known to have caused Earthquakes and there have been Reports from other Countries of various Adverse Effects. Many Campaigners claim Fracking poses a serious risk to the Environment, to People, and the Planet, through effects such as Toxic Air Pollution, Contamination of Water, and Seismic Events.

A Growing Anti-Fracking Movement saw huge Demonstrations and Local Campaigns taking place from Autumn 2014 onwards. In response to Public Pressure, a Moratorium on Exploration for Shale Gas and Coalbed Methane in Scotland was put in place in January 2015, to allow Research into its Impacts to be gathered.

South of the Border, a Moratorium is also in force in Wales, but Fracking is permitted in England, though Operations in Lancashire had to be suspended in 2011 when Drilling triggered two Minor Earthquakes. A Vote in the Scottish Parliament last summer came out narrowly in favor of a Full Ban on Fracking. SNP Members Abstained but the Scottish Greens, Liberal Democrats, and Labor joined forces to Defeat the Tories.

Scottish Ministers announced a Ban on Underground Coal Gasification in Autumn last year, and Published Research on Fracking’s Effects on Health, Climate, Economics, Transport, Earthquakes and Decommissioning. Last November, Labor MSP Claudia Beamish launched a Private Member’s Bill to Ban Fracking. A four-month Consultation on Fracking closed on May 31st this year, to which more than 60,000 people responded. A further blow for would-be Frackers came recently, when an Eminent Scottish Academic claimed the very nature of the Country’s complex Geology means Fracking is not a Viable Option and its potential to Replace dwindling North Sea Oil and Gas Reserves had “overhyped”.

Fracking is credited with Transforming the U.S. Energy Industry in the past decade, sparking a dash to replicate the success elsewhere. Shale Gas is still at the Exploratory Stage in the UK, but Supporters say it is an important Energy source that could become a Major New Industry for Scotland. They say Home-Grown Supplies would help guarantee Fuel Supplies, Reduce Dependency on Foreign Oil, and provide Jobs. The first Imports of U.S. Shale Gas to Scotland arrived by Tanker at the Ineos Petrochemical Plant in Grangemouth last year.

Powers over Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing are now Controlled by the Scottish Parliament through the Scotland Act of 2016.

I lived and worked in Scotland in the 1990's. We built our Warehouse and Sales Office along this waterway in the City of Inverness, the Capital of the Highland of Scotland.