After 3 hours, no satisfaction from EPA
On 2nd December, the Joint Oireacthas Committee on Energy met with a delegation from EPA to discuss the research study on fracking. TDs questioned EPA following reports that the EPA-led study is being carried out by the oil and gas industry providers CDM Smith and AMEC. There was also concern that the committee has been misled about the role of Queen’s University Belfast. TDs rigorously questioned EPA Assistant Director General Dara Lynott and Research Manager Dr Brian Donlon for 3 hours.
Here is the transcript.
The full video: http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=30497&&CatID=127
Here you can see 3 of the most important moments:
TD Richard Boyd Barrett raised many really important matters. In particular, he asked why the Study on fracking does not include a health impact study. Simple question? Not for EPA. By the end of the discussion it was impossible to know if fracking is dangerous for human health.
This time, TD Richard Boyd Barrett compared the Irish Study in progress with the conclusion of the Department of Environment in New York State where impacts for human health had been proved by an official study. Logically, if there is a risk for a New Yorker it is the same for an Irish. But, again, EPA answered that they do not know.
In this excerpt, the EPA speaker answers: “There will be no recommendation in this report as whether to proceed with fracking or not to proceed with fracking” to a question from Senator Michael Colreavy. This begs the question: What will be the utility and the exact goal of the study?