Letters

For companies to be able to frack, three things need to be in place:

  1. The Government needs to sell a PEDL license (Petroleum Exploration and Development License) to the company (s) wishing to frack.
  2. The land needs to be leased by a public or private landowner.
  3. The council have to award planning permission.

Therefore Frack Free Somerset are asking residents of Somerset to:

  • Write letters to Somerset County Council, Mendip District Council and Bath & North East Somerset Council (councils where licenses are currently covered for)
  • Write to your MP calling for a Moratorium on Fracking

We have been informed by Councillors that it is more effective to receive individual letters rather than templates from campaign groups, therefore we encourage you to write to the councils at the addresses below & express your concern. Points may include:

  • Concerns related to the chemicals used in the process (in excess of 500).
  • The integrity of the wells, contamination of watersources during and post-fracking, and the potential release of methane during the process.
  • The ability of the Environment Agency (EA) and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to monitor safety when both are subject to budget restrictions and staff cutbacks.
  • The traffic movements of lorries delivering equipment, chemicals, fresh water and ‘post-fracking’ water to and from the well sites on often crowded local roads.
  • The proposed processing and storage locations for contaminated ‘post-fracking’ water
  • The effect on tourism and agriculture of ‘fracking’ operations in the Mendip Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and other high landscape value locations around the country.
  • All of the risks above for a non-renewable energy source of indeterminate amounts of gas.
  • The climate impact of methane release.

 

Letters can be sent to:

  • Bath & North East Somerset Council, Guildhall, High Street, Bath. BA1 5AW
  • Mendip District Council Cannards Grave Road Shepton Mallet Somerset BA4 5BT
  • Somerset County Council, County Hall, Taunton, Somerset TA1 4DY
  • Tessa Munt MP, John Penrose MP & Jacob Rees-Mogg MP – House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA
  • You can also find the name & address of your local District Councillor here.

 

If you are time pressured or would prefer to use a template, please find one to download here.

 

Further people to contact:

  • Environment Agency, North Wessex Area Office, Rivers House, East Quay, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4YS
  • Bristol Water plc, PO Box 218, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 7AU
  • Wessex Water, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7WW