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Clare County Council last week became the first local authority
to agree to put in place a ban on fracking in its county development
plan.
At a highly charged January meeting of the council, the 32
members voiced their complete opposition to fracking taking
place in the county.
Fracking - or hydraulic fracturing - is a controversial technique
to extract natural gas from shale.
Before a packed public gallery at the council chamber last
week, the members voted unanimously to amend their county
development plan to put a halt to all intrusive fracking or
shale gas extraction-related activity.
After Clare’s mayor, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF), announced the unanimous
decision, fracking opponents applauded from the public gallery.
The ban comes against the background of a Canadian-owned,
UK-based firm, Enegi Oil, securing a licence from the Department
of Energy to carry out exploratory work on 495 sq miles to
establish its potential for a commercially viable deposit
of shale natural gas.
The proposed amendment to the development plan is not expected
to affect Enegi’s activities in investigating the feasibility
of examining the stretch of land from Loop Head north to the
Cliffs of Moher and east to mid-Clare.
Source - The Irish Times
Last December, a
motion calling for a ban on fracking - and urging
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources,
Pat Rabbitte to accede to the wishes of councillors of all
parties - was passed by Roscommon County Council following
a presentation from the north Roscommon-based Ardcarne Community
against Fracking group.
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