Letter from the Northern Province regarding fracking (MGA)

The following letter was received by Mary Purcell following the fourth Soup and Substance gathering. A report of that gathering can be found here.

Dear Mary

I want to express appreciation of the very clear presentation given by Tanya Jones in relation to the issue of fracking. I feel strongly about this, not just for the impact on the human community, but equally because of the heedless rape of the earth inherent in the process.

I wrote to the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, in Northern Ireland, but the written reply I received did not indicate that my concerns were taken seriously enough. While the letter stated '...we are obviously aware of the reports from the US of safety and environmental issues linked to some shale gas projects.....', it went on to say that ' .....Shale gas production occurs in many states of the US without any significant damage to the landscape or contamination of surface or ground waters, and the visual impact of production facilities can be very small'.

Further, a government spokesperson in the N.I. Assembly on 26 September 2011, in referring to fracking, summed up by saying ' I have to say, the amount of scaremongering that has gone on about fracking is quite shameful'.

With such opinions being expressed by our political decision makers, I really wonder if there is anything we can do to stop fracking, and yet, are our politicians not our servants? Surely there must be a way to show them that we, the people, feel strongly about the issue, and to demand that their decisions reflect our values and wishes?
Enough!
Thanks for circulating the Youtube film. It was very clear and informative.
Philomena Horner
Northern Province.

If anyone from the Sisters of Mercy in the Americas would like to comment on the points made with regard to fracking in the US we would be happy to pass their reply on to the relevant Government department in Northern Ireland..

Messages to:
Philomena Horner rsm -  The Congregation/Northern Province
Mary Purcell – Assistant Director Mercy Global Action