100 signatures reached
To: Environment Agency
Demand the Environment Agency properly monitors the air and water around UFF sites!
After witnessing the (in)actions by the EA in relation to calls regarding strange smells and symptoms from people living and waling in the vicinity of the oil well at Horse Hill, which has been using acid stimulation to test the well, we are calling on the EA to respond to calls surrounding Unconventional Fossil Fuel wells in a speedy and responsible manner. On the first incident they turned up the next day and went upwind, not smelling anything they left, on subsequent calls they did not take readings independently, even when it is being reported from property owners. The EA claim their turnaround is 10 days, and they are not willing to take air and water samples even from land owners who are complaining. The smells are likely from releases happening at the site and these come and go with time. The EA need to be at the site of a disturbance within hours, talking to the people who lodged the complaint, and satisfying independent testing methods to prevent anxiety in the community and potentially life threatening situations from occurring. Measures for people to take water samples and send them for testing should be put in place, and officers should carry meters that can test for a range of VOC's that are associated with UFF operations.
Why is this important?
Unconventional Fossil Fuels extraction and the Volatile Organic Compounds that are released as gasses and liquid spills are inherently dangerous, and we have plenty of evidence from other countries that it causes major damage to life and health. If this industry is to be allowed to operate in this country close to people they should be regulated and monitored stringently. If the cost has to come from the industry then so be it, we need to ensure that the public, animals and environment are safe, and so far with calls to the sites that have been active in the UK the response from the EA has been less than desirable; lying and failing in their duties. Millions of lives are at risk if these wells leak, we need to prevent this from happening. At this moment in time there is no public safety net from this industry who are releasing contaminants into the atmosphere.
