[Refer also to:
Alberta’s energy [deregulating has] been highly regarded and copied in Canada and internationally. Mexico, the U.K., Romania, Hungary, Quebec, the Northwest Territories, are among jurisdictions cooperating with the AER. [Emphasis added]
UK fracking industry calls for new regulator by BBC News, March 24, 2015
The UK fracking industry needs a new regulator to give the public more confidence in the fledgling sector, an industry-backed body has concluded. Current regulation, involving a number of government departments, is “complex and relatively unapproachable”, [Translation: Regulations protect people and environment; companies are liable for pollution and harms] says a report by the Task Force on Shale Gas. It said a new regulator should independently [Translation: A new deregulated, incapacitated regulator that will be controlled by industry, better yet, self regulation, self enforcement, self reporting, and completely voluntary best practices to replace those tedious legal, costly liabilities] monitor fracking sites.
“Britain has one of the most robust set of regulations in the world for shale gas,” a government spokesperson said. [That’s what they all say] “Both the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency have full authority and responsibility to monitor all shale sites – independent of the industry,” the spokesperson, from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, added. [Meaning we need to change that to make sure we have no authority, no responsibility, “no duty of care”]
But the taskforce, which is funded by shale companies, said it operates independently, and urged the new government in May to legislate to create a regulator as soon as possible after the general election. “Speaking to local communities, we have been struck by how complex the regulatory framework appears,[Translation: Companies are currently legally liable for harms and pollution. The world knows how harmful fracing is, thus regulations/laws must be reduced to nothing to ensure “no duty of care” is standard best industry and regulator practice. Companies can’t take profit in the uneconomical shale game if they are burdened with responsibility, accountability, best in the world regulations and legal liability] and how this leads to a lack of confidence in the system,” [Translation: Companies don’t like it] said Chris Smith, chairman of the Task Force on Shale Gas.
“If the industry develops and the number of applications rises, there will be a need for a single, simplified system,” [Translation: Massive Deregulation to enable fracing free-for-all behind closed doors, while lying to the public, landowners and municipalities, promising “best in the world”] Lord Smith added.
He said the new regulator would also involve the local community [Translation: Brainwashing extraordinaire via Synergy Alberta. Why make communities responsible for industry’s impossible to fix gas and radon leakage problems? Synergy brilliantly cons communities into shouldering industry’s and the regulator’s responsibilities] in the monitoring process and assess the integrity of wells to make sure any problems that could lead to leaks are discovered and remedied. [Paid for by the taxpayer? Or Volunteer positions?]
Ken Cronin, chief executive of industry body UK Onshore Oil and Gas (UKOOG), said the industry was already addressing many of the areas highlighted in the report. “Public confidence in our regulatory system is vital, we will look in detail at this report and discuss with the Task Force how to take their interim recommendations to the next stage after further research,” he added. [Translation: After we discuss with our PR firms on how best to bamboozle UK communities, for the cheapest and least legal ramifications]
Analysis by BBC industry correspondent John Moylan [Is the BBC assisting with the bamboozling?]
There’s often concern and suspicion in communities close to shale gas sites. This report says that the complex regulatory regime – which involves the Environment Agency, the Health & Safety Executive and the Department of Energy – doesn’t help. [Because that “complex regime” protects all parties and resources – like water, land, air, historic, archaeological, tourism, farming, beauty, music, arts, cultural, etc – harmed?]
So it wants a new bespoke regulator which would pull together those responsibilities. [Translation: The Alberta Canada Model: The “No Duty of Care” completely legally immune Alberta Energy Regulator that recently gave all of Alberta’s fresh drinking water and surface water to the fracing industry, for free] The task force – led by Lord Smith, the former head of the environment agency – also wants more monitoring of fracking sites – with local people involved. [Translation: Use greed and ego to Synergize and put all industrial legal responsibility onto shoulders of communities, and off industry and off regulators/governments]
And it wants firms to engage with communities long before a drilling proposal is submitted. [Translation: Synergize and make sure all are well brainwashed, nice, quiet, obedient, and accommodating] [Emphasis added]
U.K. Industry Fracking Group Calls for New Regulator to Counter Setbacks
by Firat Kayakiran, March 24, 2015, Bloomberg
The U.K. should set up a new regulator for shale gas to simplify rules governing projects after companies faced recent setbacks, according to a group funded by the industry.
…
Scotland and Wales this year temporarily banned hydraulic fracturing….
The U.K. will hold a general election in May. “A new government in May should legislate to create the new regulator as soon as possible,” the group, which was set up in September, said in the report. The new regulator should create a “single, simplified system.” …
Cuadrilla faced a setback in January when planners in Lancashire County Council recommended rejecting its applications to drill at two sites. A final decision was delayed until April after the company asked for an extension to address residents’ concerns about traffic and noise.
The industry group also proposed operators be allowed to produce risk assessment documents that are simpler than “a full environmental impact assessment, which can run to thousands of pages.”