Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Wrexham: Report from Borras Anti-Fracking Evening... More Planned

Frack Free Wrexham | 25.10.2014 12:11 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Fracking | Wales

Last Thursday night, 23 October, local campaigners against fracking and other 'unconventional' (extreme) gas extraction methods held a public meeting in Borras, Wrexham not far from where Green Park Energy, bought out by Dart Energy, bought out by IGas, have just been given permission to undertake exploratory drilling ostensibly for coal bed methane. The local pub was packed out with standing room only and not much of that as the local community turned out in force to find out more, many angry that the unelected and unaccountable Planning Inspectorate had overturned the decision of Wrexham council's Planning Committee whose members had voted (17 to 2) to reject the planning application back in March.




REPORT OF THE MEETING

A good turnout

With ten minutes still to go before the start of the meeting, every seat was filled in the conservatory of the Cunliffe Arms, people were standing at the back and a queue of people was forming outside the door unable to get in. Faced with the alternative of turning people away, we took up the manager's offer to use the main bar area instead, apologised profusely to those who'd already made themselves comfortable, set about moving ourselves and all the audio-visual equipment into the next room (which wasn't nearly as simple as it sounds) and improvised as best we could with the screen up on a table behind the food counter and the mic alongside after it became apparent that the pub PA system wasn't working. The bar continued to fill up and was packed by the time we finally got started, with the audience showing admirable patience in the meantime.

Films from Australia and America

The meeting began with two short films: first, some inspiring Australian footage [YouTube Link] from the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales where, having decided that they couldn't rely on the government to protect them, local people have come together in large numbers to 'Lock the Gate' on the drilling companies in defence of their land, air and water. Resistance from all sections of the community in 2014 resulted in licences for coal seam gas (known here as coal bed methane or CBM) being withdrawn and Metagasco's share price dropping to an all time low. Moving on to the US in the second film clip [YouTube Link], Pennsylvanian Farmer Terry Greenwood spoke about how his animals became sick and died through drinking water poisoned as a result of fracking. Terry said ominously that the pollution caused by fracking would soon be killing humans too; this year, Terry himself died of brain cancer.

Local speakers

These clips were followed, now we'd managed to rig up a working microphone, with a number of presentations from local people who, learning of plans to drill in Wrexham and concerned about the damning evidence against unconventional gas extraction coming from countries that have had it long enough to know the truth, have educated themselves about the issues and taken action.

Concern led to local Community Protection Camp

Shay Brightman spoke first about how his concern for the environment and fear for his young son's future were behind his decision to join with others to occupy and set up camp on the Borras test drill site last week following the overturning of the democratic decision of WCBC Planning Committee by the Planning Inspectorate and granting of the exploratory licence to test drill for coal bed methane there. Shay said he had been overwhelmed by the support the camp had received in the six days since it was established, with numerous people visiting every day and keeping the camp supplied with essentials such as water, food and wood. The plan is to stay for "as long as it takes" to get the message across that IGas isn't welcome here.

Strength and solidarity in numbers

After Shay's address, Dianne Parrish gave the main presentation of the evening. Confronted with the sight of a drilling rig across the fields at nearby Farndon when closing her bedroom curtains one evening, Dianne recounted how she had at first felt vulnerable and powerless as one individual against a huge corporation, but this changed when she joined with others through the Frack Free Dee Coalition which has grown rapidly to include many groups in the Dee Valley area of the Welsh-English borderlands, working together and sharing skills and resources. Dianne showed a series of slides to demonstrate how the country has been 'carved up' into licence areas, all of which are now under threat, and a short film that showed what the landscape might look like with hundreds of wells in the vicinity if the government and drilling companies get their way. She explained the various unconventional gas extraction technologies and their respective dangers, and how we might start to get organised here in Wrexham to confront this threat. In particular, Dianne noted how we were being given the impression that this is one 'harmless' test drill when even the Planning Inspector has acknowledged that nearby properties will be adversely affected, when it is a precursor to the large scale industrialisation of the countryside and when test drilling itself has inherent dangers with particular concerns locally in relation to the geology of the area and water sources.

'An X over my house'

Paul Beer lives close to the Upton-by-Chester proposed drilling site on an organic dairy farm, which has already been occupied for six months to protect the land from another Dart Energy/IGas drilling plan that he first found out about when he saw a map of planned drill sites with an X over his house. Paul added to Dianne's presentation with some more information about unconventional gas technologies including underground coal gasification; conservation areas on the Dee Estuary and at Hilbre Island on the Wirral are currently under threat.

Local action and wider context

Genny Bove gave a short overview of the situation in Wrexham, the history of the licensing of the Borras site as part of a licensing area covering the whole of Wrexham, the planning application and the various incarnations of the company that was Green Park Energy, bought out by Dart Energy (fresh from being driven out of Australia by the tightening of legislation there) and in turn bought out by the much larger IGas. IGas' share value has halved so far this year, information that was met with a rousing cheer from those assembled. Between the planning application going in and the final vote by the Planning Committee at the end of March, the drill rig and then a protection camp had been set up in Farndon helping us to realise that this is for real [ 1 | 2 | 3 ]. Following the council's decision to refuse permission, more meetings were held in anticipation of the appeal [appeal documentation here]. Work continued through the summer [e.g. Day of Action] to raise local awareness and encourage people to register their objections. Genny set this in the wider context of a new round of licensing that has extended the local drilling area to around 60% of the country and the government pushing through the Infrastructure Bill that will allow drilling involving "any substances" under people's land without permission in spite of a consultation exercise that had 99% of respondents opposing the measures. We have repeatedly been told by the company that this is "not fracking" as if coal bed methane extraction is better and safer, which it is not and which in any case often ends up with hydraulic fracturing. At Barton Moss near Manchester, IGas repeated the lie about "not fracking" until a week after the test drilling had finished when it announced it had found shale gas (that can only be extracted by fracking). We need to learn from the experiences of other groups here, in the US, Australia and everywhere, and be ready to challenge the corporate lies we're being fed.

A moratorium on fracking?

Wrexham councillor Arfon Jones then spoke about how he would be calling on other councillors to make the symbolic gesture of calling for a moratorium on fracking and coal bed methane in Wrexham as part of moves to declare the whole of Wales 'Frack Free'. He encouraged local people to write to their elected representatives, including the Minister for Natural Resources, Carl Sergeant in the Welsh Assembly and local Assembly Member Lesley Griffiths.

Oil industry worker to frack industry critic

In answer to a question from the floor about whether substances in the water pumped in and out of wells were toxic, Luke Ashley spoke from his experience as a conventional oil drill worker in the North Sea and his subsequent extensive research into unconventional gas extraction, explaining that there are dangers both from toxic substances pumped into wells, many of which are known carcinogens, as well as those already in the ground and released by the drilling, which include radioactive materials. Luke explained that there are structural problems with the integrity of drill casings, all of which will leak over time. In terms of recent evidence of leaks, there is, for example, a huge methane cloud currently sitting over a CBM drilling area in America and we know that in many areas people are unable to drink from their local water supplies due to contamination. Luke has set up and runs the North East Wales Anti-Fracking Action Network [facebook page].

Grassroots and underground

Michelle spoke briefly about her research into the geology of this region, the fractured nature of the rocks under the Borras site, the instability of the coal mines and the presence of particular geological features. Taken as a whole, these make subsidence, migration of gases and pollution of the land and water virtually inevitable consequences of drilling activity. 'Technical information and research' is one of the working groups that is being set up in response to the threat of drilling in Borras and Michelle invited everyone to sign up to groups where they could make a contribution. Other groups currently being established are: Media & Public Relations; Lobbying & Letter-Writing; Planning Matters; Legal Issues; Leaflets & Graphic Design; Facilitating Meetings; Camp Presence & Support for Camp; Presentations & Public Speaking; Public Engagement & Outreach; Website & Internal Communications.

Multiple offers of help

By the end of the evening, we had a box full of completed forms and multiple offers of help to add to our existing efforts and turn this into a campaign to be reckoned with. This technology has the potential to kill the rich and their children as well as us and ours and for that reason the campaign against extreme energy extraction is likely to resonate with a wise cross-section of the population. Even people who don't get or believe the technical, geological and health-related arguments are likely to sit up and take notice at the prospect of their value of their properties plummeting or when they can't insure their homes against fracking risks.

How we're going to win this

We know that the value of IGas' shares has dived during the course of this year and we know that there is in any case little profit in this industry unless and until it gets itself established. Every planning application that's refused and has to go to appeal, every site that is occupied, every legal challenge that is brought, every planning condition that we can ensure is enforced to the letter, every truck that is held up, every gate that is locked or blocked by local people refusing to have their democratic rights trampled on... all of these cost the frackers time and money and discourage the investment on which the industry relies. If they think we're going to take this lying down, they might be right, but it'll be their trucks we're lying in front of!

More Information

Everyone's invited to show up next week, same time (7pm), same place (Cunliffe Arms, Jeffreys Rd, Borras) when we will start organising in smaller groups to share the workload and make a bigger impact.

Visit: Borras & Holt Community Protection Camp, Borras Road, near Holt, LL13 9TG.

There are facebook groups for:

  • Borras and Holt Community Protection Camp
  • Frack Free Wrexham
  • N.E. Wales Anti-Fracking Action Network

Email: frackfreewrexham [at] riseup.net

Website: Frack Free Dee (under construction)

See also: Frack-Off and Extreme Energy in the Marches

Frack Free Wrexham

Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech