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1109791

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to ensure that the Government’s fracking proposals do not disrupt local wildlife and biodiversity.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	241060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2019 answer text <p>Statutory consultees including Natural England (NE) and the Environment Agency (EA) are consulted by the relevant Mineral Planning Authority (MPA) when a planning application for hydraulic fracturing development is received. NE is consulted if the proposed development is likely to affect a protected site (Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA), Ramsar Wetland, or a potential SPA, possible SAC or a proposed Ramsar Wetland). NE has published ‘Impact Risk Zones’ which can be used to check if the planning proposal relates to land on or near a protected site. In addition MPAs will assess impacts on locally protected sites.</p><p> </p><p>MPAs use NE’s standing advice for protected species when reviewing planning applications and will contact NE if the matter is not covered by the advice. NE may need to issue European Protected Species Licences in certain circumstances. Developers are also encouraged to contact NE at pre-application stages to help ensure that their applications fully take account of potential impacts and that measures are put in place to avoid or mitigate those impacts as well as maximising opportunities for biodiversity.</p><p> </p><p>In applying to the EA for environmental permits, operators are also required to consider the effect that their activity may have on protected sites, habitats and species. Where any sites of heritage and nature conservation, or protected species and habitats are identified, they may need to consult other bodies such as NE and can enforce permit conditions to protect habitats.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 09/04/2019 14:49:09 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

988823

registered interest
date	16/10/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect on the local environment of fracking.
tabling member constituency	Blackburn
tabling member printed	Kate Hollern
uin	180215
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2018 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) has carried out an assessment of the environmental risks associated with hydraulic fracturing and the measures that are needed to ensure that the local environment is protected. Based on this, the EA has developed and published detailed guidance setting out the conditions that fracking operations must meet.</p><p> </p><p>Businesses proposing to explore for oil and gas using hydraulic fracturing require environmental permits from the EA, which are subject to a detailed site specific assessment. The permits set legally binding conditions on the activities and how they are carried out to protect the local environment. They include requirements to monitor groundwater, surface water and air quality before, during and after operations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 22/10/2018 12:25:36 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4363 label Biography information for Kate Hollern

984998

registered interest
date	10/10/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what baseline tests are carried out at fracking sites and test sites for radiation in air and water.
tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
uin	HL10541
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2018 answer text <p>The environmental permits issued by the Environment Agency (EA) set out the pre-operational and operational monitoring requirements according to environmental risk. The type and period of monitoring may vary between sites, according to the sensitivity of the environment and the type and scale of activities.</p><p> </p><p>The permits for both the Cuadrilla and Third Energy sites required baseline monitoring of groundwater, surface water and air quality. The EA has also used its own mobile monitoring units to record ambient air quality.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2017 Public Health England has been undertaking background radon monitoring in air as part of a project coordinated by the British Geological Survey and funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 22/10/2018 11:29:35 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

984999

registered interest
date	10/10/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action is taken by the Environment Agency, and within what timescale, in the event of a pad being ruptured at a fracking site and the water going to ground.
tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
uin	HL10542
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2018 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) has the expertise and the resources to respond to any environmental incidents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.</p><p> </p><p>If there is an incident which causes pollution of the environment, environmental damage, or if there is a breach of the permit or non-compliance with environmental legislation, the EA has a range of enforcement powers available.</p><p> </p><p>In the event of damage to the protective membrane on a well pad, the EA would require the operator to carry out immediate repairs and to take remedial works should any environmental damage have been caused.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 22/10/2018 11:30:04 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

985000

registered interest
date	10/10/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is regular or random monitoring of the run-off areas downhill from fracking site pads to check for potential contamination caused by site operations.
tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
uin	HL10543
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2018 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) requires well pads to be constructed so that water run-off is captured on the site and does not cause pollution. The environmental permits also require operators to carry out regular monitoring of nearby surface water locations as part of agreed Emissions Monitoring Plans.</p><p> </p><p>The EA carries out regular inspections, audits and unannounced spot checks to ensure operators are compliant with its environmental obligations. During site inspections officers will check for leaks or spillages on the well pad surface. EA staff also carry out visual inspections off site.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 22/10/2018 11:28:59 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

985001

registered interest
date	10/10/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the public are able to access all the test results from fracking sites and test sites which are reported to the Environment Agency.
tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
uin	HL10544
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2018 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) provides information through its Public Register which is available to the public at many of its offices. In some instances the EA also publishes monitoring results and details of its wider regulatory work online.</p><p> </p><p>An example of this for Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site can be seen at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/onshore-oil-and-gas/information-on-cuadrillas-preston-new-road-site/" target="_blank">https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/onshore-oil-and-gas/information-on-cuadrillas-preston-new-road-site/</a></p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 22/10/2018 11:27:52 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

964395

registered interest
date	03/09/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the report entitled Potential Air Quality Impacts of Shale Gas Extraction in the UK, published by his Department in 2018, for what reason the report was compiled in 2015 but not published until 2018.
tabling member constituency	West Lancashire
tabling member printed	Rosie Cooper
uin	169190
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2018 answer text <p>This was a routine report by the Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG). Although it was based on an assimilation of evidence that took place in 2015, the report itself was not finalised until 2017. It was prepared alongside other AQEG reports, for example on ultrafine particles and vegetation, which were produced on similar timelines. These reports were released together following publication of the government’s Clean Air Strategy.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 06/09/2018 14:33:55 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1538 label Biography information for Rosie Cooper

932058

registered interest
date	27/06/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that waste water from fracking is disposed of safely; and what is their policy towards (1) releasing waste water after treatment into a water course, and (2) injecting waste water back into the fracking well.
tabling member printed	Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
uin	HL9031
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2018 answer text <p>The Government supports strong regulatory controls to ensure that fracking is carried out safely. Environmental permits issued by the Environment Agency (EA) set legally binding conditions to ensure compliance with requirements for environmental protection. Hydraulic fracturing fluid that returns to the surface, known as flowback fluid, can be reused and recycled onsite if it meets environmental standards. Flowback fluid that cannot be recycled will become waste, and must be taken offsite for treatment at appropriately licensed waste water treatment facilities.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Waste water treatment facilities must have the correct environmental permits in place to receive waste flowback fluid, and must meet strict environmental standards for any discharge into receiving waters. This is similar to any other industrial effluent. The EA does not allow reinjection of waste water back into a fracking well for disposal purposes.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 09/07/2018 11:31:21 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

782738

registered interest
date	02/11/2017
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether permission for the shale gas industry to proceed with a fracking operation under the environmental permitting regime can only be granted in the event that the regulatory authorities are satisfied that baseline levels of pollution are not exceeded.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	111190
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/11/2017 answer text <p>Environment Agency permits for shale gas sites set out conditions that require baseline monitoring as well as ongoing monitoring throughout operations. Baseline data is important in the understanding of existing local environmental conditions.</p><p> </p><p>The permit sets out the conditions for operators to follow so that their activities do not cause unacceptable impacts on the environment.</p><p> </p><p>In the event that pollution is detected that can be attributed to permitted activities on the site, action will be required to remediate any impact and the operator may be subject to enforcement action.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 07/11/2017 17:47:50 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

781297

registered interest
date	31/10/2017
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the environmental effect of fracking.
tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
uin	110508
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2017 answer text <p>In 2012, an independent review by the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering concluded that the environmental risks associated with hydraulic fracturing can be managed effectively in the UK if operational best practices are implemented and enforced through regulation. In 2013, the Environment Agency (EA) published <strong>‘</strong><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/296949/LIT_8474_fbb1d4.pdf" target="_blank">An Environmental Risk Assessment for Shale Gas Exploratory Operations in England</a>’ on gov.uk, which reviewed the potential environmental risks and how they can be minimised and managed through environmental regulation. We have a robust regulatory regime in this country, which the Government has committed to keep under review as the industry develops. The EA carries out detailed site specific risk assessments where fracking is proposed and will not issue a permit unless it is satisfied that the risks can be managed.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 03/11/2017 11:14:53 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury