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<p>The UK has a robust, comprehensive and safe regulatory regime in place for shale gas exploration. The Environment Agency's shale gas environmental risk assessment has found that the risks to the environment of hydraulic fracturing can be mitigated effectively through appropriate planning and permitting conditions and do not justify them objecting to any permitting or planning applications on the basis of the precautionary principle. Much of the activity proposed (e.g. flaring, borehole drilling and casing, surface run-off management) is not new and is commonly used in conventional onshore oil and gas exploration. However, the assessment of environmental risk in the case of hydraulic fracturing to explore for shale gas is site-specific and depending on local geological conditions the Environment Agency may object to future permitting or planning applications.</p><p>Since minerals extraction does have an environmental impact, it is important that every planning decision should be made only after very careful consideration of all the relevant planning issues, including the likely effects of the proposed development on the surrounding area, and taking into account the views of local residents. In addition, applications for new shale gas sites in England, whether for exploratory drilling or full production, may be subject to an environmental impact assessment if there are deemed to be any significant environmental effects.</p> |