from Sunday Herald, 30 June 2013
Draft plans to exploit underground gas in central Scotland will
permit tens of thousands of tonnes of climate pollution to be released into the
atmosphere over 25 years, the Sunday Herald can reveal.
An official field development plan drawn up last year for Dart Energy’s disputed coalbed methane project at Airth near Falkirk says that it will be allowed to release up to five tonnes of gas a day for safety reasons. The Australian company will also be able to burn off gas in flares “on an emergency basis”.
That means that a maximum of just over 1,800 tonnes of methane could be released in a year, and up to 45,000 tonnes over the envisaged 25-year life of the development. Scientists say that methane is 25 times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide.
Dart has applied for planning permission to sink 22 wells at 14 sites to extract up to 60 billion cubic feet of methane at Airth. But the application has prompted over 1,500 objections, been delayed by local authorities and is now being considered by the Scottish government.
Last week Falkirk Council agreed to urge the government to hold a public inquiry into the plans, which could cause more delays. Dart, which has recently shed 70% of its staff worldwide, is under commercial pressure to get the go-ahead at Airth, regarded as its flagship project.
Extracts from the draft 2012 field development plan for Airth have been released to the campaign group, Frack Off Scotland, by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Department of Energy and Climate Change in London after appeals under freedom of information law.
“This license to vent potentially massive amounts of methane is another reason unconventional gas is such an environmental disaster,” said Ed Pybus from Frack Off Scotland.
“This development wouldn't be allowed in Dart’s home state in Australia. Scottish ministers shouldn't allow it in Falkirk.”
Professor Andrew Watterson, head of the Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group at the University of Stirling, argued it was right to be concerned about the permissible emissions. “Dart appears to lack transparency and clarity about its activities and that does not inspire confidence in future plans,” he said.
Dart pointed out that controlled venting of methane was sometimes required to ensure safe operation and maintenance. “Consent for this would be considered at the appropriate time by the regulator following assessment of requirements and impact,” said a company spokesman.
“This consent, in-line with industry standards, describes a limit and it would be highly misleading to imply that this could be a routine occurrence.”
The released extracts from the 2012 field development plan for Airth can be downloaded here (779MB pdf).
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