U.K. lawmakers rejected a proposal to ban hydraulic fracturing for shale gas and oil for at least 18 months.
A moratorium, which would have allowed for an independent assessment of fracking’s effects on climate change, the environment, health and safety, and the economy, was defeated by 308 votes to 52 on Monday in the House of Commons. Lawmakers voted to accept a separate provision proposed by the opposition Labour Party to ensure 13 safeguards for the industry.
Only a handful of wells have been drilled so far, and the government has faced opposition from campaigners who say fracking may contaminate water, cause earthquakes and hurt the countryside. In a concession to opponents, Climate Change Minister Amber Rudd said the government will ban fracking in some areas.
“We have agreed an outright ban on fracking in national parks, sites of special interest and areas of natural beauty,” Rudd told lawmakers. The government aims to “develop the best shale gas environment that we can for the benefit of the U.K. generally.”
The Conservative-led government has promoted fracking by Cuadrilla Resources Ltd., IGas Energy Plc and other companies by cutting taxes and relaxing planning rules to try to lower reliance on imported gas.
U.K. Onshore Oil & Gas, the industry body, welcomed the vote to reject what it called a “misguided attempt” to introduce a moratorium.
“Most of the amendments agreed are in line with best practice in the industry or codify the directions of regulators, which the industry would naturally comply with,” CEO Ken Cronin said in an e-mailed statement. “We now need to get on with exploratory drilling to find out the extent of the U.K.’s oil and gas reserves.”
Objections were included in proposed amendments to the Infrastructure Bill that’s working its way through Parliament. If passed, the law would allow fracking companies to drill deep under people’s land without permission. Lawmakers weren’t given the chance to vote on an amendment to remove that provision.
Rudd said she would accept the safeguards demanded by Labour. Among the 13 provisions are environmental impact assessments, independent inspections of wells and measurement of leaked gas.
There are also provisions for local people to be told individually of fracking plans, programs benefiting areas being fracked and only allowing fracking deeper than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), compared with 300 meters in the bill. Rudd said she’d attempt to remove that last measure when the bill is discussed in the upper chamber, the House of Lords.
“It’s all or nothing; it’s not cherry picking that amendment, because we need all of those clauses,” Tom Greatrex, an energy spokesman for Labour, told lawmakers. “The entirety of that amendment needs to be taken.”
The moratorium had been sought by members of the three main parties as well as the Greens who sit on Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee. They issued a report earlier Monday saying a delay was needed to prevent the U.K. from missing its carbon targets and allow time to stiffen regulations.
Friends of the Earth welcomed the ban in national parks, while saying the government’s concessions do not go far enough.
“The only way to safeguard our climate, local communities and their environment from the fracking threat is to halt shale gas completely,” Donna Hume, energy campaigner at the environmental group, said today in an e-mailed statment. “Everywhere fracking is proposed, local communities say ‘no.’”
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