Fracking licences issued for beauty spots under "exceptional circumstances"

SMi's 5th Shale Gas Environmental Summit, 27-28 Oct, provides the ideal platform for industry experts to discuss the impacts during extraction & production

LONDON, SOUTHWARK, UNITED KINGDOM, August 4, 2014 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The UK government is keen to promote fracking in the UK, and has already announced a number of incentives to help kick-start the industry. Fracking licences can only be issued for beauty spots in "exceptional circumstances", according to new rules issued by the government. It said the regulations for the new bidding round for licenses - the first in six years - are stricter than before. And companies applying to frack near beauty spots will have additional obligations. But some environmental campaigners say the new rules are not tough enough.

Planning permission may be granted in National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty if "it can be demonstrated they are in the public interest". Greenpeace argues that the announcement actually makes it easier for developers to drill in national parks. While The National Trust gave a more cautious welcome to the extraction of shale gas in beauty spots only if it is under exceptional circumstances.
(Source: BBC News, Beauty spots still at fracking 'risk', say campaigners, 2014)

Against this backdrop, this year's timely Shale Gas Environmental Summit will feature exclusive sessions by the the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, FTI Consulting and Plexus Energy on 'public engagement', to provide insight into:

• The analysis and approaches utilized across key countries in the EU (Poland, Ukraine, Germany and the UK)
• The issues and barriers to shale gas development
• ... and how to break down the barriers

This is just a snippet of what will be covered. This year's event will provide the ideal platform for various industry representatives including operators, environmentalists, campaigners, NGOs, academics and researchers to come together and discuss the environmental aspects of shale gas extraction and production. Other speakers will include the Environment Agency, Plexus Energy, UKOOG, RSPB, Water UK, Bath and North East Somerset Council, No Hot Air, MWH Global, British Geological Survey plus many more.

Key Discussions
• How do we monitor and enforce the regulations?
• Does the UK need more rigid laws for fracking?
• What are the resulting impacts on climate change and wildlife?
• What are the impacts on water?

For those who are interested in attending, there is currently a £300 reduced rate through online registrations, using the following code: SMI3A7A.

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For more information please visit:

5th annual Shale Gas Environmental Summit
27-38 October, 2014
Holiday Inn Regents Park Hotel, London, UK
http://www.shalegassummit.co.uk

About SMi Group:

Established since 1993, the SMi Group is a global event-production company that specializes in Business-to-Business Conferences, Workshops, Masterclasses, and online Communities. We create and deliver events in the Defence, Security, Energy, Utilities, Finance, and Pharmaceutical industries.

We pride ourselves on having access to the world’s most forward thinking opinion leaders and visionaries, allowing us to bring our communities together to Learn, Engage, Share, and Network. We hold events in over 30 major cities throughout the world, including London, Paris, and Singapore, and to date, have welcomed over 200,000 participants from 80 countries.

More information can be found at http://www.smi-online.co.uk.

Daniel Lee
SMi Group
+44(0) 207 827 6078
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