Fracking regulations must be tighter

This morning, Labour tabled amendments in the House of Lords to the Government’s Infrastructure Bill that would significantly tighten the regulations for shale gas extraction in the UK. Since March 2012, when I set out the environmental and regulatory conditions that needed to be met to ensure that any future shale extraction was properly controlled, Labour have pushed the Government to improve the current regulatory framework, which has crucial and unacceptable flaws.

Time and again, David Cameron’s stance has eschewed responding to genuine and legitimate environmental concerns, in favour of simplistic hype which does nothing to reassure the public. He’s given the shale gas industry a 50% tax cut, but done nothing to address the lack of baseline monitoring of groundwater. He’s persistently inflated the jobs potential – even beyond his own government’s report  – but done little to address the public desire for full well-by-well disclosure of the contents of the fracking fluid being used. Increasingly, the Tories are giving the impression that they will pursue shale gas at any cost on the basis of a simplistic extrapolation of the experience in the USA.

Instead, the UK needs a more rational, moderate approach to shale and other unconventional gas, one which places evidence ahead of rhetoric.

It is too often missed that for heating, as opposed to electricity generation, we will continue to need gas for many years to come. The fact is that 8 out of 10 homes in the UK still rely on gas for heating. In the context of declining output in the North Sea, shale could therefore play a role in securing our gas in years to come. The idea that we can afford to ignore shale because we no longer need gas is simply not tenable, as is the suggestion that using gas prevents investment in renewable power generation.

We should be doing as much as we can to promote a balanced mix of lower carbon power sources – and that is why Labour is committed to a 2030 decarbonisation target for the power generation sector.

But if shale gas does move forward in the UK, then it is clear that we will need a framework of robust regulation and comprehensive inspection to protect our environment. This is the impetus behind the amendments tabled in the House of Lords today.

Experiences in the US have led to concerns that vertical faults in the earth could transfer displaced methane from the shale bed at depths of around a kilometre to the aquifers near the surface. Making sure that this is not happening requires potential shale gas operators to comprehensively monitor the pre-existing, baseline levels of methane in the groundwater before their work gets underway so that any negative impacts can be quickly identified and remedial action taken.

Shale gas extraction can also be water-intensive. In order to make sure that there are no negative impacts on local communities, particularly in the South West where there are ongoing concerns over drought, our amendments would ensure that water companies are taken on as statutory consultees in the planning process.

There have also been concerns about the chemicals in the fracking fluid employed during the process. Labour’s amendments call for the full disclosure, on a well-by-well basis, of the contents of this fluid, so that the public is properly informed about any activity in their area.

Ed Miliband and Caroline Flint have ensured that tackling climate change has a core role in shaping our energy policy. Over the next few months, we will therefore be looking at ways to ensure that the CO2 and methane impact of shale gas is properly monitored and can be incorporated into calculations about meeting our existing climate change commitments.

During the last two and a half years, our pressure on the Government has yielded a number of belated improvements to the regulatory regime, such as the introduction of a traffic light monitoring system for seismic activity. But there is much further to go. These amendments do much of that work, and the Government would be wise to adopt them.

The danger for the UK is that David Cameron’s approach on shale gas proves to be another case of style over substance. He is willing to spout catchphrases about a dash for gas and make hyperbolic claims for the impact on jobs and energy bills. But he isn’t willing to ensure that the regulation is in place and that the public is properly informed. He’s interested in fanfare, not the nitty-gritty of real leadership.

On something as important as shale gas, we simply can’t afford that kind of approach. We must have responsible leadership, not simplistic posturing. Only Labour will deliver that.

Tom Greatrex is the Shadow Energy Minister