Gas drilling plans are 'fracking by loophole'

A fossil fuels company has unveiled plans to drill for gas near an area of protected countryside.

Europa Oil and Gas lodged a proposal with North Yorkshire Council to build a drilling rig and explore for gas on agricultural land at Burniston, near the North York Moors National Park.

Operations at the site, off the A165 Coastal Road, would last for an estimated 37 weeks.

They would include a 17-week "proppant squeeze", which is a small-scale form of "fracking" that is permitted under current legislation.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that fracking was legally defined as using "large volumes of fluid" and the amount used in proppant squeeze methods was below this limit.

Planning documents stated the company would drill a lateral borehole at the site, to determine potential reserves of gas.

The proposed rig would feature a 30m (98ft) derrick and 1,050 HGV movements were expected to be generated throughout the operations.

Europa said it did not believe an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the plans was necessary, due to operations taking place over a short period of time.

It added: "It is Europa’s opinion that dust, noise, impacts on ecology and pollution on land or water could be avoided completely or reduced to non-significant levels through the implementation of standard mitigation and best practice measures."

However, members of the community were unconvinced by the plans.

North Yorkshire councillor and campaign director of Frack Free United, Steve Mason, said the proppant squeeze technique was "a loophole in the fracking ban that should be closed".

He said: "We are in a climate crisis, we do not need new fossil fuels. When will this sink in?

“The council should be asking for an EIA to take into account the emissions produced from the fossil fuels used from this site."

Mr Mason added that although the application was only for assessment, he thought it was "obvious" the intention would be to maximise future production.

National park authority member Arnold Warneken called for the proposal to be screened due to potential impacts on the landscape and groundwater.

"We have got to tighten up on environmental protections," he said.

"If there’s a loophole in the fracking policy then we need to ask the government to close it, otherwise everyone who wants to frack will find this loophole."

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