Written question asked by Christian Matheson (Labour) on Thursday, 7 January 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 11 January 2016. It was answered by Andrea Leadsom (Conservative) on Tuesday, 12 January 2016 on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Methane

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what initial assessment she has made of the implications of the incident at Porter Ranch, California, for safety and engineering procedures and standards in the UK onshore unconventional gas extraction sector.

Answer

In the UK, we have an entirely different regulatory system to the US.

We have over 50 years of experience in safely conducting surface activities and constructing onshore gas wells, regulated by the Health & Safety Executive and Environment Agency.

Our tough regulations ensure on-site safety, prevent water contamination, mitigate seismic activity and air pollution. To reinforce our already robust regulations, the Infrastructure Act 2015 introduced a range of further requirements that must be met before an operator can carry out hydraulic fracturing in a responsible, sustainable and safe manner. These include the assessment of environmental impacts, groundwater monitoring, community benefits and prohibiting hydraulic fracturing in specified protected areas.

The UK has one of the best track records in the world when it comes to protecting our environment while also developing our industries â and weâve brought that experience to bear on the shale gas protections.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 21523
Session: 2015-16
Subjects: Air pollution USA Methane
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Methane

Secondary information

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