Activities of Linda McAVAN related to 2011/2308(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Environmental impacts of shale gas and shale oil extraction activities - Industrial, energy and other aspects of shale gas and oil (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the environmental impacts of shale gas and shale oil extraction activities PDF (255 KB) DOC (171 KB)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the environmental impacts of shale gas and shale oil extraction activities
Amendments (33)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that numerous studies, and experience from the US, demonstrate that a number of serious risks to the environment and health, health and climate change are associated with shale gas extraction; calls on the Commission, the Member States and the EIB neither to fund nor to otherwise support exploration and exploitation of shale gas and oil in developing countries, given the serious sustainability concerns;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas recent technological advancements have already spurred a rapid, commercial-scale extraction of unconventional fossil fuels (UFF) in certain parts of the world, significantly increasing energy security, strengthenwhereas there is no commercial scale exploitation ing the overall economy and increasing employment, competitiveness and innovativenessEU and the availability of reserves are as yet unproven;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the exploitation of unconventional oil and gas resources could hamper the achievement of ‘MDG 7 on Environmental Sustainability’, while jeopardisiand undermine the latest international climate change commitments taken regardingenshrined in the Copenhagen Accord; notes that climate change, that already affects poor countries the most;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the development of shale gas is not uncontroversial in the EU or worldwide, thereby necessitating a thorough examination of all the impacts (on the environment, public health and climate change) before developing this technology further;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that hydraulic fracking requires an enormous amount of water, and is concerned that in areas which suffer from drought, local communities and farmers may suffer water shortages if their needs are not prioritised;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Energy Roadmap 2050 indentifies that gas will be critical for the transformation of the energy system by helping to reduce emissions; whereas the Commission notes that shale gas and other UFF will become a veryunconventional gas sources have become potential important new sources of supply in or around Europe, but that it is impossible to anticipate to what extent shale gas in Europe will prove viable;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes with concern thatthat because it is unclear whether the current regulatory framework of EU legislation does not provides an adequate guarantee against the risks to the environment and human health resulting from shale gas activities; is worried, therefore, about any potential investment by European companies in unconventional oil or gas resourc, the European Commission is undertaking a series of studies expected later this year; considers that the lessons learnt from these studies should inform shale gas exploitation by European companies in developing countries;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Is worried about any potential investment by European companies in unconventional oil or gas resources in developing countries;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the two main techniques deployed in unleashing the UFF potential of shale gas and coal bed methane, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, have been used for decadesin combination for just a decade, and should not be mistaken for well stimulation techniques used for the extraction of conventional fossil fuels due to the combination of these two techniques and the scale of intervention involved;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the EU is committed to a legally binding target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the share of renewable energy; whereas any decisions on exploitation of UFF should be seen in the context of the need to cut emissions;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes that the EU Accounting and Transparency Directives are currently being revised which is an opportunity to prevent against tax evasion and corruption by extractive industries;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Is concerned that some unconventional oil and gas companies operate to different safety standards worldwide; calls for Member States to require companies headquartered in the EU to apply EU standards in all their operations worldwide;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Notes that the European Commission has not yet formed a view on whether the current EU regulatory framework sufficiently covers the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing, and so is undertaking the following studies: - DG ENVI study on the identification of risks and the appropriateness of current legislation and standards; - DG CLIMA study on GHG emissions from shale gas; - JRC study on whether the REACH exposure scenarios for a set of substances generally used in fracking fluids could be considered adequate for shale gas operations; - JRC study on the potential cumulative impacts on water and land-use; - JRC study on the effects of shale gas on EU energy markets;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Considers that once the Commission has finished their studies, MEPs should revisit the issue of hydraulic fracturing; urges Member States to be cautious in going further with shale gas until these studies are completed;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that, given the relative novelty of UFF to the general public, a thorough assessment should be conducted on the basis of the European regulatory framework once the Commission has completed its studies, and improvement measures taken, where necessary;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that prevailing expert opinion indicates that the inherent risks of UFF extraction, most of which are common to conventional fossil fuel extraction, couldUFF extraction, like conventional fossil fuel extraction, has inherent risks; these risks should not be underestimated and must be contained through pre-emptive measures, - including proper planning, testing, use of new technologies, best practices and continuous data collection, monitoring and reporting - within a robust regulatory framework;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. WelcomNotes the Commission's preliminary assessment on the EU environmental legal framework applicable to UFFhydraulic fracturing; urges the Commission to use its powers regarding proper transposition and application of key EU environmental acts in all Member States;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that proper regulation of UFF exploration and extraction - in full compliance with existing EU legislation - ultimately depends on the competence and resources of the relevant national authorities; calls on Member States, therefore, to ensure proper training and international exchange programmes for the staff of the competent national authorities and to establish a coordinating platform to oversee the UFF responsibilities of the various competentsufficient human and technical capacities for monitoring, inspection and enforcement of permitted activities, including proper training for the staff of the competent national authorities;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes the importance of the work undertaken by reputable institutions, notably the International Energy Agency (IEA), to prepare a comprehensive Best Available Techniques (BAT) reference document on hydraulic fracturing; calls on the Commission to cooperate with the Member States, the IEA and industry associations to this endguidance on best practice regarding regulations for unconventional gas and hydraulic fracturing;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on those national authorities which have authorised UFF exploration to review existing state regulations on well construction for conventional fossil fuels and to update those provisions covering the specifics of UFF extraction;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recognises that industry bears primary responsibility for preventing and reacting to accidents and calls for Member States to require from operators sufficient compulsory financial guarantees for environmental and civil liability for responding to any accidents or unintended negative impacts, at all stages of exploration, exploitation and dismantling; welcomes the progress made by the industry in setting high environmental and safety standards, but notes that strong concerns about the sufficiency of such standards still exists; stresses the importance of monitoring the industry's compliance by means of regular inspections carried out by trained and independent specialists;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission to introduce opportunities for funding research projects in environmentally ameliorative UFF technologies within the framework of EU research and development (R&D) programmes such as Horizon 2020 and the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET)energy companies active in the field of UFF extraction to invest in research in improving the environmental performance of UFF technologies; urges EU-based undertakings and academic institutions to develop relevant cooperative R&D programmes leading to greater safety inunderstanding about the safety and risks in UFF exploration and production (E&P) operations;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Acknowledges that the types of rocks present in each individual region determine the design and method of extraction activities; calls for mandatory pre- authorisation precedingbaseline analysis of groundwater and geological analysis of the deep and shallow geology of a prospective shale play prior to authorisation, including reports on any past or present mining activities in the region;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Calls on the Commission to bring forward proposals to ensure Environmental Impact Assessment Directive provisions adequately cover the specificities of shale gas, shale oil, and coal bed methane exploration and extraction; insists that prior environmental impact assessment include full life cycle impacts on air quality, soil quality, water quality, geological stability, land use and noise pollution;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Notes that there is a risk of seismic tremors as demonstrated by shale gas exploration in the north-west of England; supports the recommendations of the UK Government commissioned report that operators be required to meet certain seismic and microseismic standards;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recognises the relativesignificantly high water volumes involved in hydraulic fracturing; points out, however, that such volumes are not as significant in comparison to the needs of other industrial activitiesacknowledges that requirements for water in shale gas extraction could put considerable pressure on water supplies at the local level given that water resources in many parts of Europe are already under pressure; highlights the need for advance water provision plans based on local hydrology;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Recalls that Water Framework Directive requires Member States to implement the measures necessary to prevent the deterioration of the status of all bodies of groundwater, including from point sources such as hydrocarbon exploration and extraction;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Believes that, given the depth (over 3km) at which hydraulic fracturing takes place, the main immediate concern regarding groundwater contamination is often well integrity and; the quality of casing and cementing, including its ability to resist the high pressure of the liquid injected and the generated earth tremors, in addition to the concern related to the release and travel of hazardous chemicals and naturally occurring radioactive substances to water reservoirs;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Concurs with the Commission analysis that Article 11 (3)(j) of the Water Framework Directive does not allow the injection of flow back water for disposal into geological formations;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers that there should be a mandatory obligation to declarefully disclose the composition and concentrations of the chemical contents of fracturing fluid; maintains that full transparency and disclosure should be required of operators;and to make publicly available the REACH exposure scenarios and proposed risk reduction measures
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on those Member States who decide to develop shale gas or other unconventional fossil fuel reserves to send national plans to the Commission detailing how the exploitation of these reserves fits in with their national emission reduction targets under the EU Effort Sharing Decision;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Calls on the Commission to swiftly finalise their study on the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of shale gas extraction and production in order to correctly account for these emissions in the future;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Believes that public participation should be ensured through adequate public information campaigns before exploration and through public consultation before theeach stage of exploitation stagesand exploration; calls for greater outreach and public education in UFF activititransparency of impacts, of chemicals and technologies used, as well as of all inspections and control measures in order to ensure public understanding, acceptance and confidence in the regulation of these activities;