Freedumb!!! To Frack Under Any And All United Kingdom National Parks Gets Green Light From Tories

Weak fracking rules have officially been enshrined in law as the controversial Infrastructure Bill became an act last night. The new act will see national parks and groundwater protection zones at risk from fracking as the government backtracked on amendments agreed only weeks ago to increase the safety of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas.

Amber Rudd, energy minister at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), said: “In the case of areas of outstanding natural beauty and national parks, given their size and dispersion, it might not be practical to guarantee that fracking will not take place under them in all cases without unduly constraining the industry.”

Ed. - Right-o - just as long as we've got our priorities straight here - as we obviously do!

She was supported by Peter Lilley, a self-described ‘global lukewarmist’ Conservative MP, who said fracking should be “pursued energetically”. The weak fracking rules were passed by the House of Commons last night in a vote of 257 to 203 with five Conservative MPs defying the government’s stance on fracking.

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Fracking companies will now be allowed to drill horizontally under national parks and other protected areas if the wells start just outside their boundaries. The new Act also does not define what constitutes a groundwater area, leaving much ambiguity. This is despite definitions already existing as laid out by the Environment Agency.

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http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/02/12/fracking-go-ahead-national-parks-controversial-infrastructure-act-becomes-law