[Press Release] EPA to include Health in new Terms of Reference

Posted on 05/05/2013 by

We can't drink moneyRecently, the EPA carried out a public consultation and invited submissions on the proposed Terms of Reference (ToR) for a research study on the Environmental Impacts of Unconventional Gas Extraction (fracking).  Over 1,300 submissions were received, the majority of these calling for a study on the impacts of fracking on public health.
Good Energies Alliance Ireland (GEAI) has now learned that this initiative has been successful.  A spokesperson for the EPA explained that the purpose of the consultation was to ensure that the terms of reference for their research reflected the concerns of civil society.  “They are going through the submissions at present and issues of major concern such as health will be included in the new ToR,” he said.
He said they would not be able to take on board every issue that that had been put forward in different submissions but those which had been raised by a large number of submissions such as health “would definitely be in the new ToR”.  There will be no further consultation with the public and tenders will be sought for the study in June through the e-tenders process.
“This is an important result that shows that advocacy can work in this country,” said Aedín McLoughlin, Director of GEAI.  “From the beginning of this process, GEAI urged individuals and organisations to engage in the consultation process and show the strength of their views.  The fact that over 1,300 submissions were received, the majority calling for a study on health impacts, showed the level of concern about the proposal to introduce fracking into Ireland.  We are delighted that, according to the EPA, they are paying attention to what the people said and are implementing our demands, to some extent at least.
However, we still have concerns over the lack of engagement by the EPA and the study’s North-South Steering Committee with the communities in the target areas.  We will not get an opportunity for further discussion on the Terms of Reference or the development of the research study.  We consider that the community should be represented during the entire process from beginning to end, in accordance with the spirit of the Aarhus Convention.  We now call on Minister Pat Rabbitte to ensure that the democratic process applies to this very important issue and that a Forum is set up whereby there can be regular opportunities for discussion between the politicians, statutory agencies and the communities involved.”
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

[Press Release] Water supplies threatened by fracking

Posted on 24/04/2013 by

World Heritage Site

Marble Arch Caves

Fermanagh, Sligo, Leitrim and Cavan water supplies threatened by fracking

On this week, when the EU Energy Ministers are discussing unconventional gas in Europe, and Tamboran are planning to drill a 1,000m deep exploratory well in Fermanagh, a new danger from fracking in Ireland has come to light.  The water supplies of Counties Fermanagh, North Leitrim, South Donegal, North Cavan, North Sligo and Sligo Town, and the World Heritage Site at Marble Arch Caves would be under threat if hydraulic fracturing is used to extract gas from shales.  This is a conclusion reached by GEAI hydrogeologist, Davide Galazzi.
 “We are playing with fire.  The shale layer where Tamboran is planning to use hydraulic fracturing is packed like a sandwich between two major aquifers, Ballyshannon Limestones and Dartry Limestones, providing water to the above areas.  The Dartry Limestones are also the rock embedding the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Marble Arch, the world-wide importance of which cannot be over- emphasised.”
He warned that these aquifers could become contaminated in the process.  “During hydraulic fracturing, which uses millions of gallons of frack fluid containing toxic chemicals at high pressure, fractures (or cracks) are created in the shale to release the gas.  These fractures can go in any direction, downwards as well as upwards, and nobody can forecast how far they will travel.
In a situation where there is a very short distance between the shale and the limestone layers, a distance which is far less than the minimum threshold (700m) recommended by recent studies from the UK, there is a high risk of this fluid being forced into those aquifers during hydraulic fracturing.
In addition, the fracking area is extremely close to the locations of water supplies and actually on the shores of Lough Erne and Lough Gill, which provide water to the whole of County Fermanagh, North Leitrim, Sligo Town and surrounding villages.  There is no guarantee that water contaminated with fracking chemicals, heavy metals and volatile petroleum products could not make its way to the areas from which drinking water is sourced.”
 “We are very alarmed at this finding, which concludes that there is a high risk of contamination of the sources of our drinking water from fracking”, said Aedín McLoughlin, GEAI Director.  “The Ballyshannon and Dartry limestones extend throughout most of the licensed area.   Without any barriers between the shale layer and the limestones, these Regionally Important Aquifers are endangered by hydraulic fracturing.  The EU Water Framework Directive says that ‘Water is not a commercial product like any other, but rather, a heritage which must be protected, defended and treated as such’.  Where there is intense fracking, as is planned for Ireland, water contamination inevitably results.  We have a duty to our children and our children’s children to leave our surface and ground waters in as pure a state, or even better, than we find them.  Fracking must not be allowed to endanger that heritage.”
It is an offence to pollute groundwater under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts of 1977 and 1990.
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A serious gap in the decision-making process on fracking

Posted on 21/04/2013 by

How fracking transforms land (Photo: Huffington Post)

Minister for Energy, Pat Rabbitte, gave a speech on 17th April in Royal Irish Academy which confirmed that, despite 1,300 submissions being made to the EPA, the majority of which demanded a study of the health impacts of fracking, the proposed research study on fracking is confined to identifying “best practice in respect of environmental protection for the use of hydraulic fracturing techniques”.
This excludes the stages of pad construction, drilling of wells, gas extraction and treatment, gas transport and site reclamation, all of which add their own risks to communities and to health.  It is therefore far too restrictive.  Many submissions made to the EPA pointed out this fact.  Why is the Minister not listening to the people?
It is also extremely disturbing that no health study is proposed despite the clear wishes of the people.  The EPA study, as described, appears to be an exercise designed to pave the way for fracking.  The project proposed for Leitrim would take over vast tracts of land and industrialise them, changing the landscape and way of life for its communities forever.  No regulations or “best practice” would be able to prevent contamination risks to ground and surface water, air pollution, noise, disturbance and accidents.
Minister Rabbitte went on to state that “The shale revolution is a game-changer”.  We dispute this.  Shale gas does not change the game of burning fossil fuels; it is not clean energy, despite the propaganda of the oil/gas industry; it is not a sustainable source of energy, disappearing once the gas is extracted; the gas produced would belong to the industry, not to the people, and would be sold on the international market at the market price.  Fracking will NOT bring cheap gas to Ireland, nor will it make us energy-secure.
Good Energies Alliance Ireland believes that we should be moving forward on the path towards making Ireland carbon-neutral by 2050 and ensuring that all decisions made on energy sources, uses and allocation of resources reflects this priority.  Shale gas is not the answer!
The International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a recent report that “Governments have the power to create markets and policies that accelerate development and deployment of clean energy technologies, yet the potential of these technologies remains largely untapped.”
Ireland has a choice – to go down the fracking route and destroy our rural communities and international reputation or be a world leader in the move away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources.
Posted in Press Release, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mega-extractive Industries – from Latin America to Ireland

Posted on 27/03/2013 by
[Press Release]  The Social and Environmental Impact of Mega-extractive Industries, from Latin America to Ireland
 513px-Mina_cerro_pascoAs part of the Latin America Week (4th – 13th April), a meeting to raise awareness of the issues around unsustainable exploitation of natural resources is being organised by the Latin American Solidarity Centre in conjunction with community leaders in Leitrim.
Presentation in Bush Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon on Thursday April 11th at 8pm.
 With the rise of the price of oil, gold and coal, a global scramble for natural resources has been unleashed by mega-extractive multinational corporations, with repercussions from Latin America’s unsustainable open cast mining to Ireland’s fracking proposals.
 The meeting will focus on examples from Colombia and Peru, presented by two community leaders, to see the impact on the communities and how they organise to face this threat. This will open up debate around the campaign against fracking in Ireland and discussion about the similarities and difference.  Campaigners against fracking are supporting this visit to Leitrim and hosting the speakers during 11th and 12th April.
 According to LASC coordinator “Given the current crisis affecting communities all across Ireland, the Latin American experience is insightful and full of valuable lessons of resilience, resistance and creativity”. Our emphasis is not only on the impact of the unsustainable exploitation of resources, but on the potential for community based alternatives of development.
About the speakers
 MILTON SÁNCHEZ CUBAS. From Peru.  President of the Celendin Interinstitutional Platform (PIC), a network of 40 grassroots organisations from Celendin Department of Cajamarca, Peru. He is also the spokesperson of Comando Unitario de Lucha, which is a network of grassroots organisations whose aim is to defend the natural resources of the Region of Cajamarca which are threatened by the extractive industries operating in the region. He will talk about the La Conga mining project which is a project of the Yanacocha company. Shareholdes are Newmont (USA), Buenavertura (Perú) and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation. This is the greatest mining project ever in Peru and it will impact rives, lakes which in turn will affect local agriculture and the health of 200 communities in 3 provinces.  5 people have been killed and 104 have been injured since resistance to the project began.
AIDA JULIETA QUIÑONES TORRES, Colombia – Lecturer and PhD student in Universidad Javeriana. Member of the Environmental Committee for the Defense of Life which monitors the socio-environmental impact of the La Colosa mine, in the department of Tolima, Colombia. Aida is a militant researcher on the issue of resistance to 3 mining mega-projects in Colombia.  In all three cases there is a military presence and militia which is acting illegally and escalating the conflicts.
These cases are:
  • The gold mine of La Colosa, Cajamarca-Tolima – population: small farming communities. Transnational Anglo gold Ashanti has been carrying out illegal explorations with a view to have one of the biggest open cast mines in South America. The mine is in a natural reserve.  In previous projects in this mine, a family – including a baby – was murdered by state agents.
  • Sa´th Tama Kiwe – mining concessions have been given in this indigenous ancestral land. The indigenous people have been resisting.
  • La Toma- Suarez in Cauca – mining concession given without consulting the community, which is mainly of African origin. There is also resistance form the population.
 Photo: Mining in Peru:  Wikimedia Commons Images
Posted in Press Release, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The UK is exploring its shale gas future, we should NOT do the same

Posted on 24/03/2013 by
Response to Aaron McKenna’s column in The Journal.ie (23rd March 2013)
Aaron McKenna is a marketing executive, so the question is: What is he marketing and on behalf of which interests?  Mr McKenna was obviously briefed on fracking by the US oil/gas industry as he quotes their propaganda extensively and when it comes to Ireland, has done little research himself. The article is a deliberate attempt to get us to assume that fracking is inevitable, good for us economically and that shale gas is the clean fuel of the future. We completely refute those assumptions.
Some important points:
  • Shale gas is Methane, which has a global warming effect 25 times that of carbon dioxide.  Whereas methane when burned is a cleaner fuel than oil or coal, fugitive emissions from fracking and gas transport systems are serious problems.  Howarth et al (2011)[1] calculate that during the life cycle of an average shale-gas well, 3.6 to 7.9% of the total production of the well is emitted to the atmosphere as methane, resulting in a greenhouse gas footprint more than that of coal over a 20 year period.
  • No fossil fuel is a “clean fuel”.  This is industry hype.  All fossil fuels contribute to global warming and shale gas is no exception.
  • The statement that “People living on top of shale gas reserves can win big” is not true in Ireland.  Unlike the US, Irish landowners do not own the mineral or gas rights under their land and will not be entitled to royalties or massive leases.  Any leases will be only for a few short years and the landowners will then be left with unusable land for which they will be responsible.  The only real winners are the oil/gas companies.  The gas would be sold into the international market and the Government would get the second lowest royalties in the world from declared profits.
  • The preliminary EPA report on fracking[2] said in its summary that ” there is a low and probably manageable risk to ground water from fracking …” This referred to the hydraulic fracturing stage of shale gas extraction, not to its life cycle, which includes land preparation, drilling, wastewater disposal, and gas treatment and transportation.  In addition, this conclusion was based on a report from Texas which has been subsequently discredited.[3]
  • European shale gas could not be sold cheaply.  The price of gas in the US has more to do with a glut of gas than the cost of production, which is actually 4 times its retail cost.  The cost of establishing a shale gas industry in Ireland would be huge and imposed “improved” regulations would also add costs to production.  Examination of models produced by Tamboran indicate that strict regulations could drive the price up to €16 per mBTU.
  • The whole US industry is a bubble scenario very much on the same lines as the sub-prime property bubble that has been shown to be totally unsustainable.[4]  Why would we have a repetition of the same system that already has had such disastrous consequences for our people and economy?
  • Irish Exploration Licences come with the guarantee to allow exploitation of commercially viable reserves.   We should not go ahead with Exploration while the process has so many unknowns associated with it, in particular its impact on human and animal health.  Our agri-food and tourism sectors are far too valuable to be put at risk.  Better wait until independent peer-reviewed studies show that shale gas can be extracted without risk to the environment, people’s health or the national economy and then see if the burning of this valuable resource is the best use we can make of it.

AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW

Ireland has a unique situation on the edge of Europe, with the potential for development of a carbon-neutral society by 2050, as proposed by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). [5]
 “To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 we must act now to create:
  1. An energy system built on wind and other renewables, using a smart grid and integrated into a clean EU energy system;
  2. An energy-efficient society that uses renewable forms of energy for heating;
  3. A sustainable transport system which serves economic, societal and environmental needs;
  4. A world-class agri-food sector working within a carbon-neutral system of agriculture, forestry and land use; and
  5. An approach to resource management that provides a competitive and comparative advantage in international trade and factor flows.”
The NESC report concluded that “Ireland has an opportunity to be a real leader by building an institutional architecture suited to the nature of the climate-change policy problem and the major ways in which progress on ‘how to’ achieve decarbonisation is made.”
THERE IS NO MENTION OF NEW FOSSIL FUEL SOURCES IN THE ABOVE STRATEGY!
This is where we should be turning our attention, not looking to short-term fossil fuel extraction, with negative impacts on the environment, health and the reputation of our country, to put off the day when we have to change our life-styles and energy sources.
Aedín McLoughlin Ph.D.
[1] Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations. Robert W. Howarth, Renee Santoro, and Anthony Ingraffea. Cornell University, Ithaca (April 2011)
[2] Hydraulic Fracturing or ‘Fracking’: A Short Summary of Current Knowledge and Potential Environmental Impacts  EPA Preliminary Report (12 May 2012)
[3] Fact-Based Regulation for Environmental Protection in Shale Gas Development. The Energy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin (February 2012)
[4] Drill, Baby Drill. Can Unconventional Fuels usher in a New Era of Energy Abundance? J. David Hughes. Post Carbon Institute February ‘13
[5] Ireland and the Climate Change Challenge: Connecting ‘How Much’ with ‘How To’ Final Report of the NESC Secretariat to the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. Dec’12
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Will the EPA include a Health Impact Assessment in the new research study?

Posted on 15/03/2013 by
Glass of milky brown water in DimockOver 1,300 submissions were received by the EPA concerning the proposed Terms of Reference for their new Research Study on fracking. The majority of those demanded a study on the impacts of Health on the whole process of fracking.
Among many other individuals and groups, GEAI demanded a full Health Impact Assessment (HIA). We believe that only this can give a true picture of the impacts of fracking on health and the community. Attention is now turning to the process of scoping and carrying out this study. One of the rights of individuals under the Aarhus Convention (ratified by the Irish Government last year) is public participation in environmental decision-making:
“Arrangements are to be made by public authorities to enable the public affected and environmental non-governmental organisations to comment on, for example, proposals for projects affecting the environment, or plans and programmes relating to the environment, these comments to be taken into due account in decision-making, and information to be provided on the final decisions and the reasons for it.”
Two conclusions can be reached:
1. Since most of the submissions received looked for Health impacts to be studied, the EPA now has to either agree to this, or give the reasons why not.
Indications are that they have agreed to include some form of Health study but the public must be informed as to what kind of study is proposed and we can demand input into this decision as well. Nothing less than a full Health Impact Assessment would be adequate.
2. There are fundamental flaws in the process by which this study is being managed.
  • There is no representation from the target communities on the Steering Committee managing this study; neither are there members from the Departments of Health or Agriculture.
  • There is no accountability to the public since the EPA and associated organisations have immunity from prosecution.
  • There are no further proposals to enable the public affected to comment on amended Terms of Reference, the scope of the research study, or draft reports.
The “public consultation” we have had, although a step in the right direction, is not enough. The public MUST be involved at every stage of this extremely important study. We have seen how public opinion and lobbying can influence Government decisions. We now must demand input into the research study process.
Picture: Glass of milky brown water in Dimock, Pennsylvania (From Marcellus Protest)
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

[Press release] 2-year moratorium on exploration licences!

Posted on 10/03/2013 by
GNU licence, wikimedia commons Meredithw

GNU licence, wikimedia commons Meredithw

Minister Fergus O’Dowd has finally given in to pressure from those campaigning against shale gas exploration and announced an unofficial moratorium on exploration licences.
In a press release on 7th March, he confirmed that two companies, Tamboran and Enegi Oil, have applied for licences and that his Department would be evaluating those applications. However, “further consideration of the application will then be put on hold until after the finding of the new EPA research have been published”, he said. He also said that he does not propose ”to consider applications for exploration authorisation in respect of other onshore areas until the EPA research has concluded”.
This means that no Exploration Licences will be given out for at least two years as the EPA report is not due until 2015.
This is a great victory for the campaigners. Recently, Good Energies Alliance Ireland organised an intense letter-writing campaign to the Minister demanding that the Government gave a commitment that no further licences would be granted for fracking. Other campaigners also had a “Licence Not to Frack Leitrim” campaign and went to Leinster House to express their concerns. Local TDs, Senators and Councillors also put pressure on the Minister. Those actions have paid off.
Statement from GEAI
“We are delighted with this development. It shows the power of the campaign that through our efforts we were able to influence the Government to pull back from issuing Exploration Licences that would give the companies concerned rights to drill. We now have two years to bring our campaign to the wider population, to raise awareness that this is a national issue, not a local one and that the consequences of allowing this industry free rein in our country could be a national disaster. The campaign is not over by any means – this is only a temporary moratorium, our ultimate goal is achieving a total ban on fracking in Ireland and we will keep working until this happens.”
Posted in News, Press Release | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Big crowd at Jessica Ernst presentation

Posted on 05/03/2013 by
Last Saturday night, 2nd March, Canadian scientist Jessica Ernst gave a presentation in Leitrim village. A big crowd, around 150-200 people warmly welcomed her, the talk ending by a standing ovation. Staying in Ireland and United Kingdom until 12th March, she has come from Rosebud (Alberta) in Canada to tell her story, her struggle against oil company Encana.P1030514web
She herself worked in the oil and gas industry for 30 years until this petroleum company shallow-fracked close to her house.
As well as contamination of Rosebud’s drinking water, air pollution, illnesses, flaring noise, traffic… Jessica told of the dreadful impacts on her community. Most of the people stay silent, too afraid to talk and sometimes are paid for their silence. Encana considers her a terrorist, and the Canadian government denies the facts: “Your water is the cleanest in the world, nothing is wrong, it’s brown because you use too much water”, she was told. Jessica chose to go down the legal route and is currently suing the Canadian authorities for unlawful activities related to hydraulic fracturing. Her victory would be the first in the world. The struggle is exhausting: “Canada has fracked the head off Lady Justice. That’s how bad fracking is!”, she declared.
Before her lecture, a National Meeting of groups and individuals campaigning against unconventional gas extraction took place in Leitrim community centre. People came from Dublin, Cork, Clare, Wexford, Sligo, Donegal and elsewhere. Representatives of Making a Real Difference – Ireland (M.A.R.D.I) were there as well. Everyone worked on common concerns such as a strategy plan, internal and external communication, shared ideas and planned next actions.
Jessica joined the meeting towards its end and emphasised the importance of writing letters to Government and local representatives on every issue of concern. “A hand-written letter is worth dozens of type-written letters that you just sign. They pay attention to all letters personally written. Send thousands from the campaign, make your voices heard. ” she said.
It was agreed that there must be a demand that Government removes EPA immunity from prosecution immediately.
Many groups, including Good Energies Alliance Ireland, had information stands and a flyer at the meeting. Following the meeting there was a short presentation on GEAI aims, actions and plans for 2013.
Programme of Jessica’s next talks:
  • Ennis: March 4th. Old Ground Hotel, Co. Clare. 8pm
  • Belfast: March 6th. Queens University, Peter Froggatt Center. 7pm
  • St. Annes: March 7th. United Reformed Church, St. Georges Road, Lancs 7pm
  • Balcombe: March 8th. Church of England Primary School, London Road, RH17 6HS – 8pm until 10pm.
  • Dublin: March 10th. Gresham Hotel, O connell Street Dublin, 11-6pm. Hosted by Richard Boyd Barrett TD & Chair of Save our Seafront with speakers from Norway, An Taisce, SIPTU, The Woodlands League and more. Full programme
  • Dublin: March 11th.
    NUI Maynouth, 1pm, (Hall E, NUIM Campus, bring lunch).
    Hosted by Friends of the Earth: Smock Alley Theatre 7-9 pm, Exchange Street Lower, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.
Jessica Ernst’ website: Ernst vs Encana.

(Pictures AG)
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Demand that government removes EPA immunity from prosecution immediately

Posted on 03/03/2013 by
A national meeting in Leitrim of groups and individuals campaigning against shale gas extraction last Saturday was delighted to welcome Jessica Ernst, a Canadian scientist taking a court case against the oil compangy, Encana.
Jessica joined in a discussion regarding the new study being commissioned by the EPA at present and the invitation to make submissions on the study’s Terms of Reference. The meeting was told that the EPA’s immunity from prosecution removes any responsibility by them for decisions made, based on the report, that would impact on the environment or on public health.
Jessica emphasised the importance of writing letters to Government and local representatives. “A hand-written letter is worth dozens of type-written letters that you just sign. They pay attention to all letters personally written. Send thousands from the campaign, make your voices heard,” she said.
1. That any response to the call for submissions on the proposed Terms of Reference for the research study “ Environmental Impacts of Unconventional Gas Exploration and Extraction” should include a demand for this immunity to be removed immediately by an Act of the Oireachtas.
2. That until this immunity is removed, the Research Study should not be considered.
Relevant paragraphs in EPA Act 1992:
Para 15 – Immunity of Agency
“No action or other proceedings shall lie or be maintainable against the Agency or any body referred to in section 44 or 45 for the recovery of damages in respect of any injury to persons, damage to property or other loss alleged to have been caused or contributed to by a failure to perform or to comply with any of the functions conferred on the said Agency or body.”
Para 16 – Indemnification of Director General, directors and other persons.
“Where the Agency is satisfied that the Director General or other director or authorised person appointed by the Agency, or any other employee of the Agency has discharged his duties in relation to the enforcement of the relevant statutory provisions in a bona fide manner, it shall indemnify the Director General or other director or authorised person of the Agency or any other employee of the Agency, against all actions or claims howsoever arising in respect of the discharge by him of his duties.”
Relevant statements:
EPA Review report (2010) stated: “…doubts have been expressed about the constitutionality of this immunity and whether it is compatible with obligations arising under the European Convention on Human Rights. The Review Group concluded that the absolute nature of the EPA’s immunity … should be revised, as appropriate, when the opportunity arises.”
Phil Hogan, Minister for Environment: “The review recommended that immunity from prosecution, as applicable to the EPA in carrying out its functions, be reconsidered. As set out in the implementation plan, I propose to consider this issue, which is likely would require primary legislation if it is decided to progress it in the latter half of 2013.” (June 6th 2012)
See our page about EPA public consultation and our press releases: “EPA proposed fracking research ignores public health” and “EPA report on fracking just a whitewash?”
Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

General meeting and talk by Jessica Ernst March 2nd

Posted on 27/02/2013 by
“FRACKING COMMUNITY. Actions and omissions speak louder than words”. Jessica Ernst will speak at this event, to be held in Leitrim Village Community Centre on Saturday 2nd March at 7-10pm. All welcome.
Jessica Ernst is a Canadian scientist who has worked in the oil and gas industry for 30 years. She discovered first-hand the consequences of hydraulic fracturing in her town of Rosebud, Alberta, Canada and has valuable, first-hand information to share with our community. This is a rare opportunity to hear her experiences of the dangers of shale gas development – she is coming to Leitrim and other places around the world to warn communities of what our reality may become. Jessica is currently suing the Canadian authorities for unlawful activities related to hydraulic fracturing and undertaking a tour of locations at risk from the shale gas industry.
Before her lecture, a national anti-fracking meeting will take place at the same venue, from 11 am to 4 pm.
Tea/Coffee and light refreshments will be available on the night as well as music
from local musicians.
There is no entrance charge to this event.
Jessica will also be speaking at the following venues:
  • Ennis: March 4th. Old Ground Hotel, Co. Clare. 8pm
  • Belfast: March 6th. Queens University, Peter Froggatt Center. 7pm
  • St. Annes: March 7th. United Reformed Church, St. Georges Road, Lancs 7pm
  • Balcombe: March 8th. Church of England Primary School, London Road, RH17 6HS – 8pm until 10pm. 
  • Dublin: March 10th. Gresham Hotel, O connell Street Dublin, 11-6pm. Hosted by Richard Boyd Barrett TD & Chair of Save our Seafront with speakers from Norway, An Taisce, SIPTU, The Woodlands League and more. Full programme
  • Dublin: March 11th.
    NUI Maynouth, 1pm, (Hall E, NUIM Campus, bring lunch).
    Hosted by Friends of the Earth:     Smock Alley Theatre 7-9 pm, Exchange Street Lower, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.
Posted in News, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment