Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd have had their planning application rejected in Kent because the Environment Agency was not convinced that the drilling would not pose a threat to the environment, particularly in regards to groundwater contamination. See weblink at

http://kent.gov.uk/environment_and_planning/planning_in_kent/planning_applications/latest_news.aspx

Anyone else find this amazing that these points weren’t picked up in Wales? READ ON!!!

The letter from the EA can be downloaded here see attached – EA_Letter_20131014. This letter calls for Coastal Oil and Gas to provide 17 further items of information to allow for an assessment to be made;-

Details of the drilling methodology

1. Details of the drilling methodology
2. Casing design
3. Measures to protect groundwater in the chalk aquifer
4. Groundwater monitoring strategy, including groundwater quality and turbidity
5. Monitoring systems to be used during drilling
6. Construction details of the site infrastructure
7. Detailed plan and construction details for surface water drainage system
8. Preliminary Risk Assessment
9. Detailed review of the geological information
10. Details of any drilling fluids used, how these will be introduced, how volumes will be monitored and how groundwater will be protected
11. Additional details for the restoration proposals
12. Quantified risk assessments
13. Contingency plans to deal with the risk of turbidity (Chalk fines from drilling process) at abstractors boreholes or in springs or streams
14. Contingency plan in the event of any loss of potentially polluting materials (such as drilling muds, process water or flow back water)
15. Following borehole completion, an “as finished log of the borehole
16. Information on waste (both solid and water) – in particular the quantities, on site storage arrangements, means of treatment and disposal off site
17. Clarification of air emissions and need for flaring

So Does Natural Resources Wales care about the residents of The Vale ?

Of the 17 requests for further information issued to Coastal Oil and Gas by the Environment Agency in England, 12 of these items of information (those are in BOLD above) were also not submitted by Coastal Oil and Gas Ltd in relation to their proposal to test drill for gas here in Llantrithyd. If you would like to know the reasons for this, please write to the Minister for Natural Resources in Wales, Mr. Alun Davies at ;-

Correspondence.Alun.Davies@Wales.gsi.gov.uk

and demand that he uses his authority to conduct an urgent review of the NRW position as issued in their letter dated 1st July 2013 to the Vale of Glamorgan Council and put into effect a moratorium on the test drilling project in Llantrithyd while that review is ongoing.

Recent research from Duke University, in North Carolina USA demonstrating a strong correlation between fracking and contaminated drinking water supplies, see http://sites.nicholas.duke.edu/avnervengosh/duke-study-on-shale-gas-and-fracking/

This research has been peer reviewed and can therefore be deemed to be Indepenedent. The research paper has been published at http://sites.nicholas.duke.edu/avnervengosh/files/2012/12/PNAS_Jacksonetal2013.pdf , and their observation from data gathered from 141 drilling sites is that “Overall, our data suggests that some homeowners living < 1 km from gas wells have drinking water contaminated with stray gases " (sic).

The House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee meeting of 22 Oct 2013 gathering evidence on shale gas in Wales, see website at http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=13991
Cutting to the chase they said that tens of thousands of wells will be needed across the UK to commercially exploit the shale gas reserves.

Perhaps we should setup a competition to guess how many will be needed across the Vale? Send your answers to @llantrithyd

If an estimate of 413 rigs in the Vale come true. What will you see flying into Cardiff airport?
http://commonsensecanadian.ca/birds-eye-view-texas-fracking-causes-rumble/
Amazing aerial photo of how fracking can change the landscape. Do we want this in the Vale, or anywhere in Wales or Britain?

Follow up:
I just got a message from @amy_youngs who took the picture. I asked her if anyone had found the site on google maps. “Luckily, someone found it on the map here: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=31.421485,+-96.326416&hl=en&ll=31.422218,-96.344261&spn=0.134475,0.209427&sll=31.421962,-96.324477&sspn=0.016809,0.026178&t=h&gl=us&z=12 …”

Any other google maps of other Fracking sites?

This is important to everyone that lives in the Vale of Glamorgan.

“A bank’s mortgage offer for a house was initially withdrawn due to its valuer being “unable to assess the property’s risk” from a West Sussex drill site.

Santander withdrew the offer for the house, 6 miles (9km) from the Balcombe site, following environmental searches.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-24640990

We are appealing to these landowners to think again and to prevent our rural landscape, health and environment from being exposed to this irreversible, long-term damage.

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/evan-williams-and-w-philip-thomas-landowners-at-llantrithyd-don-t-allow-your-agricultural-land-to-be-used-for-test-drilling-for-gas

Extracts from the planning committee, including the condition(s):
Extract from minutes of PC meeting 03.10.13

We hope that you will support the petition we have started.

SIGN HERE

We are appealing to the landowners, Evan Williams and W Philip Thomas, to think again and to prevent our rural landscape, health and environment from being exposed to this irreversible, long-term damage.

By signing the petition you will be sending out a crucial message early on in the mad dash for energy riches that our natural environment and the health of local wildlife and residents must be protected.

Please visit and sign our change.org petition

then

Please email your friends, post on facebook and send a tweet.

You can also help us by printing of a petition and gathering names local, at schools, pubs etc.

Please contact us if you can help us spread this very important message.

Further development: Planning Committee Update

No longer taking place on the 6th June

There has been a further development regarding the Vale of Glamorgan Planning Committee’s meeting and proposed site visit. These will no longer take place on the 6th June. We are waiting for a new date to be confirmed and we will inform you of our newsletter, twitter @llantrithyd and here on the website.

D Day 6^th JUNE

• On Thursday June 6 at 10.30am, members of the Vale of Glamorgan planning committee will visit the site, between the chapel and Caemaen Farm on the Bonvilston to Llancadle road, where Coastal Oil & Gas Ltd proposes to drill its exploration borehole.
• On Thursday June 6 at 6pm, the same members will meet at the Civic Offices at Holton Road, Barry to consider the application.

We all stand together:

Let’s show the planning committee members in a dignified way that we care about this application by turning up at either or both locations at the appropriate time. Please let us know if you can or can’t make it so we can organise ourselves for maximum impact.

I can make 10.30am

I can make 6pm

I can make both

Sorry I can't make either

Any questions please email villagersagainstdrilling@gmail.com

You attendance can make ALL the difference.