LONDON, July 24 (UPI) — British shale pioneer Cuadrilla Resources said it planned to appeal June’s decisions by a county council to deny permits for a hydraulic fracturing campaign.
“We have given careful consideration to appeal the planning decisions taken by Lancashire County Council,” Cuadrilla Chief Executive Officer Francis Egan said in a statement. “This is a natural step in the democratic process for deciding any planning application.”
The council in Lancashire last month voted to refuse a permit to start a hydraulic fracturing campaign in the Preston New Road and Roseacre Wood sites. The council said it refused the applications because of noise and visual impact concerns, and “potentially severe” impacts on road infrastructure and traffic, respectively.
In the past, the company said its environmental impact assessment was the most comprehensive ever submitted for operations of this kind. In its latest statement, Cuadrilla said planning officials in Lancashire had made it clear before the permits were refused the company’s proposals were acceptable on environmental grounds.
The company estimates there may be as much as 200 trillion cubic feet of shale natural gas in Lancashire.
Advocacy groups last month declared victory for the region after the council’s decisions, but expressed lingering concerns for the potential for ground water contamination, possible emissions and the possibility of minor earthquakes tied to the drilling method known commonly as fracking.
The British government in 2012 enacted new restrictions on hydraulic fracturing, ending a moratorium enforced after minor tremors were reported near Lancashire drilling sites. Cuadrilla received federal permits to move forward in Lancashire in February.
“We recognize that onshore shale gas exploration still feels relatively new in the country and we remain committed to engaging with local communities to reassure them that exploratory operations can and will be carried out safely and in an environmentally responsible way,” Egan said.
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