Sir, – Tamboran’s fracking evangelist Dr Tony Bazley (September 12th) reassures us that all is well in frackland – there a is a “full listing” of fracking toxins on fracfocus.org. Of course, he forgot to mention that an independent study published in April of this year by Harvard University’s Environmental Law Program concluded that this unofficial fig-leaf site has “failed as a compliance tool”. Meantime, the infamous “Halliburton Loophole” (US legislation that exempts fracking from certain sections of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and the Clean Water Act of 1972) remains firmly in place.
It’s also telling that Mr Bazley failed to repeat his claim of earlier this year that Tamboran “does not intend to use chemicals” in its frack holes. This contradicted the earlier disclosure by Dr Bazley’s gaffe-prone colleague Mr Moorman, that there would be a “whole truckload of stuff going down” with their fracking fluid. Mr Moorman has since left the company.
Not that disclosure makes any difference. We already know that the 40,000 gallons of toxins needed per frack include around 600 deadly toxins, including formaldehyde, mercury and radium. Much of this death-sludge remains underground, beside or in our aquifers. The rest – the backwash – is dumped as toxic sludge in politically-unimportant locations. Think Leitrim, think Fermanagh – 12,000 miles away from Dr Bazley.
SEÁN Mac CANN,
Trillick, Co Tyrone.
Sir, – In order to be better informed on facts about fracking (Tony Bazley, September 12th) I looked at the website of the Tamboran company and note that Tamboran prints a “commitment” to the peoples of the areas in which it wishes to carry out fracking. “Ireland and the UK” consists of a statement regarding quality control embodying the company’s “Commitment to the People of Ireland” but its commitment sections to Australia and Botswana and its “New Ventures” are completely blank. Perhaps Mr Bazley might encourage his Tamboran colleagues to “make all the information available to give local communities full access” so their views on his company can be “better informed and decision-making can be fact-based.” – Yours, etc,
JOHN HOPWOOD,
Rock Lodge,
Killiney,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Tony Bazley (September 12th) is overlooking the one real issue – waste water. It is an inconvenient truth that shale gas is too good an opportunity to miss, as is the fact that there will be unpleasant environmental and ecological consequences.
For no matter how inert or toxic the substances that are used as “fracking” fluid, the removal of the waste water will cause substantial disruption and its disposal presents pollution and health hazards especially in a sensitive aquatic environment such as the Shannon River basin district.
The local authorities and county councillors as elected representatives must face up to the reality that such a cataclysmic long-term negative impact can only be prevented by using the powers endowed on them by the citizens, to enter a complete ban on fracking into the Local County Development Plan, or as an amendment to existing local county development. – Yours, etc,
IAN HESTER,
Director,
On behalf of Uisce Domhan
Water World Europe,
Fourmilehouse,
Co Roscommon.