“Hundreds more of England’s most important wildlife sites are now at risk from fracking after the government opened up 1,000 sq miles of land to the controversial technology, a new analysis has found.
Among the 159 licences issued last month to explore for oil and gas onshore in the UK – likely to include fracking for shale oil or gas – are 293 sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), the definition given to an area protecting rare species or habitats.
According to the RSPB, which compiled the list of SSSIs, the result could be significant damage to the UK’s remaining habitats for rare wildlife and plants.
Martin Harper, director of conservation at the charity, said the government had backtracked on its pledges to protect important habitats. “In February, Amber Rudd [energy and climate change secretary] specifically promised to ban fracking within all sites of special scientific interest, but this promise seems to have been forgotten,” he said.”
East Devon Watch 