The most powerful letter

This letter is the most powerful, concise and well referenced argument I've yet seen on the dangers of fracking.

It is from a large number of health & medical organisations, professionals and scientists urging New York State to extend its ban on fracking.

Concerned Health Professionals of New York to New York State

• Evidence linking water contamination to fracking–related activities is now indisputable.

• The structural integrity of wells can fail. These failures are common, unavoidable, and increase over time as wells age and cement and casings deteriorate

• The disposal of fracking wastewater is causally linked to earthquakes and radioactive contamination of surface water. It remains a problem with no solution. 

• Air quality impacts from fracking–related activities are clearer than ever.

• Community and social impacts of fracking can be widespread, expensive, and deadly. 

• Industry secrecy contributes to unsettled science 

Today in court

Dez the musician

arrested for singing protest songs (video) in Beverley the other Saturday because one verse had the word 'arse' in it, pleaded not guilty.  He is accused of:

threatening or abusive words or behaviour within sight of persons likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress.

So it goes to a 1 day trial on the 17th July in Bridlington.  (The Beverley Courts are too busy in July.)

Meanwhile he is banned from Beverley, as a bail condition.  As he is now living at Crawberry Hill protectors camp this means the nearest centre for shopping or public transport is now impossible.

So he can't, for example, use the train station in Beverley to travel to his court case.

However, he has been invited to play at Beverley Folk Festival in a couple of weeks time.  So the judge, recognising that playing music is, 'what he does', relaxed the condition for the weekend 19th-22nd June so he can attend.

Dominic Solo Hero

Dominic bravely made a single person protest in front of Rathlin's convoy last Thursday.

The majority of his life is lived in close contact with nature, and an essential tool that he uses many times a day is his folding camping knife, that he's owned since he was 16.  It's normally left in his tent, but in the sudden confusion of the arrival of large numbers of police and the equipment convoy he ended up sprinting to the end of the road without chance to consider and leave his tool.  The blade is 3 1/2 inches long.  The legal limit for possession of a knife in a public place is 3".

He was accused of "blocking" a public highway, but the judge was more concerned about the more serious offence of possessing a blade in public, as the sentencing guidelines recommended a custodial sentence.  He pleaded not guilty to both.

However the judge recognised that Dominic was, "not for one moment a knife wielding criminal" and in trying to find a swift, reasonable solution encouraged the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to offer him to "bind over to keep the peace".  The CPS refused.

After some negotiation Dominic changed his plea to Guilty, and the judge concluded:

The courts are rightly concerned with blades and the level of sentencing.

You have this tool as part of your lifestyle, and may live as you wish within the law ... [the knife] innocently kept in a public place.

If  not reasonably in a public place it is normally a custodial sentence.  However as he has no previous convictions, lives his own way of life and wandered in to a public place I will move away from the guidelines.

... a 2 year conditional discharge. 

This means he will not be punished unless found guilty of another crime within the next 2 years.  If he is found guilty of another crime of a similar nature within 2 years the consequences "will be serious".

The other charge of blocking a public highway was dropped, and his treasured camping knife will be destroyed.

Solo Hero - Protector Arrested for Walking down highway

Last Thursday Rathlin brought a load of equipment on to West Newton in a single convoy.

Dominic exercised his right to peaceful protest by walking, alone, down the public highway in front of the whole convoy and police, and was promptly arrested, and banned from both well sites.

Video - "I am not blocking the highway, I am clearly using this public highway to move myself as is my right."
"You're under arrest".

Rathlin's Water Tanks overflowing... yet again. Also leaking. And sludge?

This is at least the 3rd occasion we've had reports of their tanks overflowing.

We've also heard reports that during the drilling at West Newton there was brown sludge spilt in the street in the village of New Ellerby for 50m in each direction- if anyone has any more information or photos of this incident please get in touch using the contact form at the foot of the page.

So that's several environmental incidents already, and they haven't even started testing yet.

Post by Pax Malachi.

West Newton well site, 23rd May 2014.  The rainwater tank is overflowing into the neighbouring footpath and brook.

Protector arrested for singing protest songs in Beverley town centre

At approx 2pm on Saturday Darren, a protector camping at Crawberry Hill well site, was arrested on the main shopping street in Beverley while shocked shoppers looked on, apparently for singing anti fracking protest songs.

He was stood on a bench outside Wilkos, playing an acoustic guitar and entertaining shoppers by singing anti fracking versions of popular songs. Between songs he was explaining the issue of the risky method of extreme gas extraction.

He was suddenly arrested, we believe under Section 35 Public Order Act.

"The police turned up and caused a disturbance and tried to find people who would make complaints (e.g about the music ). Beverley usually has musicians playing. The police had several vans and everyone was asking why there were there…What a waste of public money!"

The reason given for the arrest was abusive language. The volume had already been turned down as requested and Darren had just announced that he was on his last song, to the tune of, 'She'll be coming round the mountain', and had moved on from the opening verse with the lyrics, 'You can stick the new world order up your ..."

Alina Friedman, who was among the protest group, said: "We were holding a musical outreach for the local people of Beverley and telling them about the dangers of fracking.

"No one had come to complain to us and we were getting a good response.

"There were a lot of children about and they were quite disturbed watching him being arrested.

"We were just holding a peaceful gathering."

Video here, with the arrest at 13:30:

Fracking Information Evening: Wed 28th May 2014, 7:30pm - Swanland Village Hall

Sleepy Village Awakes

A public meeting was held in Walkington Village Hall last night, jointly called by:

- local villagers involved in the planning process in 2011

- protectors, camping at Crawberry Hill wellsite

- H.E.Y. Frack Off, a campaign group opposing extreme energy extraction in Hull and East Yorkshire.

Overwhelming support for Crawberry Hill Protectors anti fracking camp at Walkington Village meeting

Around 100 people packed out the hall and had to stand around the edges, with residents keen to get more informed about what's going on, meet the protectors, express opposition to the oil and gas operations a mile up the road from their village, and get organised in their opposition.

The meeting concluded with cheers and a loud round of applause:

"In Bentley Australia there's a large camp of protectors, with several thousand members of the community joining a blockade against the industry.

Last week the company's licence was pulled.

This industry CAN be defeated"

Villagers explained why they fought so hard to get a "no fracking" planning condition on the well site, and why they "feel the spirit of that condition is about to be broken".

Protectors from the camp explained why a group of individuals, including many educated to degree level, would take the extraordinary step of giving up jobs, family and a comfortable lifestyle to camp at the side the road during a grim northern winter (Barton Moss) and why they have now come to East Yorkshire in this local, national and international campaign.  "We're here to defend you and your community against the impacts of this industry."

They also allayed fears about litter, showing images of the former sites at Barton Moss and Balcombe after clean up.

H.E.Y. Frack Off gave a factual presentation including evidence of the devastating impacts of fracking from the US and Australia, covering topics of health, water, air and property values, among others.

They also explained exactly why this was of immediate concern, even though Rathlin claim they, 'aren't fracking'.

"Rathlin are just prospectors mining for data in the shale rock, and if they strike gold they'll sell out to the big guys like Total, and these 2 wells will just be the first of hundreds across the East Yorkshire countryside."

There followed an extended Q&A running an hour over time.  Walkington villagers typically being highly educated and wealthy, offered well informed comments, and various media extracts included the British Medial Journal, "Public Health England ... ignores many of the inherent risks of the industry that no amount of regulation can sufficiently remedy" , and "Conservative peer Lord Howell sparked disbelief today when he repeated his call for fracking in the “desolate North-East” – and not in “Tory areas” - Northern Echo.

There was overwhelming support for the camp, with offers of food, water, tools and donations to pay for camp infrastructure and campaign materials.