YP Letters: A Kirby Misperton resident's defence of fracking protests

I AM a Kirby Misperton resident against fracking. I have always believed the Government should spend on renewable energy rather than on extracting more fossil fuels. The Government now states we have security of gas supply for the next 20 years.

Nobody has ever said fracking is safe, only that it is safe if properly managed and monitored. Many countries have decided this is not a risk worth taking, particularly if they are concerned with bringing down emissions. America made the decision to cover their vast, sparsely populated areas with rigs in their greed for gas and their disregard for global warming. We have yet to see any success in this country.

Third Energy, despite claiming they have been here for 20 years, acquired the KM8 well in 2011 and drilled to the present depth in 2013.

John Dewar, who has since stepped down as a director, asked us to let them prove they can make this frack a success, yet they are still awaiting permission because they have yet to file their accounts and need to prove to the Secretary of State they are financially viable (The Yorkshire Post, January 26).

The monitoring agencies also need to prove themselves, but so far neither have been convincing and fracking hasn’t even started. With the reliance on self-monitoring and with so many different agencies responsible for compliance, it has taken pressure from local people to bring breaches of conditions to light. There have also been flaws in monitoring with Environment Agency air quality equipment unable to pick up low-level hydrogen sulphide in high wind and British Geological Survey equipment failing due to poor mobile reception and lack of sunlight to maintain solar power.

The local area is feeling unprotected. It has certainly not been protected by the transport plan which allows an alternative route with no impact assessment to be regularly used. Convoys of up to 11 vehicles are passing through our villages at speed.

Even if this test frack is “successful” in finding viable gas, it is not a fair experiment of risk. It would rubber-stamp the industry without a true reflection of impact. What is not measurable is the effect on the cohesiveness of my village caused by so much conflict.

Whatever the outcome here, it will take a long time for those rifts to heal, if they ever do.

I am moved to protest because neither North Yorkshire County Council, my local councillor nor the present Government are listening; I don’t want this to happen in another village.