Durkan calls on Stormont government to uphold fracking moratorium

Stormont Ministers Chris Hazzard and Michelle McIlveen have been called on to urgently declare their position on fracking after the British Government gave the green light to developments in Lancashire in England.

The call comes for Foyle SDLP MLA Mark who introduced a moratorium on the controversial gas extraction method in public policy while he was Minister for the Environment.

Mr Durkan said: “As Environment Minister I introduced a moratorium on fracking as a matter of public planning policy until such a time as scientific evidence demonstrates that it can be carried out safely without risk to the environment and public health. No such evidence exists.

“By approving plans for fracking, the British government is recklessly sacrificing well founded environmental and public health concerns.

“Our government must now make clear where they stand. Will they defend the established moratorium that protects our natural landscape and rural communities? The public deserves to know.”

Mr Durkan concluded: “Both the Infrastructure Minister and the Environment Minister must urgently declare their position in light of the developments in Britain.”