Wider implications of Test Drilling

(Letter to the South Wales Evening Post)

In accusing campaigners of being misleading (‘Protesters have misled public on drilling test’, 25 January, page 31), Councillor Wendy Fitzgerald fails to appreciate that we are not members of the planning committee and therefore not bound by the restrictions that oblige them to consider an application purely on its merits.  We are perfectly at liberty to consider the wider implications and to inform people of our wider concerns.

Safe Energy Wales has never had a problem with what the RSPCA is planning at Llys Nini, and we made that very clear in our press releases and statements; though perhaps not quite so clear in the leaflet we distributed in Penllergaer.

We are grateful for the clear statement from Sally Hayman, chair of the trustees at Llys Nini about the RSPCA’s future plans.  And we accept that there will be no fracking at Llys Nini if the RSPCA keeps to that promise.

If Councillor Fitzgerald is such an expert on these issues perhaps she can advise those of us who don’t know what we’re talking about why it is necessary for UK Methane to drill down to “800-1000m”?  This is far below the level at which you would expect to find Coal Bed Methane, but coincidentally precisely the depth at which you would encounter the shale beds that lie beneath the old coal workings.

Can she assure us that information collected during this fishing exercise will not be used to support applications for extraction of shale gas or Coal Bed Methane elsewhere in Swansea, including potentially in Penllergaer?

We are also grateful for Councillor Fitzgerald’s pledge that she would not allow fracking in Penllergaer and look forward to supporting her in this in the future should the occasion arise.

Yours,

Keith M Ross

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