LOCAL MSP WELCOMES ANNOUNCEMENT TO BAN FRACKING IN SCOTLAND

Today, Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North & Musselburgh welcomed this week’s announcement by the Scottish Government to ban fracking in Scotland.
Fracking is an extraction process to secure natural resources such as gas and oil. It is conducted by injecting liquid at high pressure to open existing fissures. Whilst it allows attainment of natural resources, it can have devastating environmental effects on the surrounding areas.
In May of this year, the Scottish Government completed a public consultation and welcomed the 60,535 responses from the general public – the second largest response to any Scottish Government consultation. Of these responses, 99% were in favour of a ban, and less than 1% were against.
Colin Beattie, MSP, stated:
 
‘I am wholeheartedly in favour of the immediate ban.
‘I strongly believe there should be no place for fracking in modern Scotland and have made my stance clear by supporting anti-fracking events, such as ‘Hands Over Our Forth,’ an anti-fracking demonstration in 2015, and sponsoring an anti-fracking event by Friends of the Earth.
‘If coal bed methane extraction were to occur in the Firth of Forth, Musselburgh’s beautiful landscape and sea views would be forever marred, before we even consider the environmental hazards that would accompany it as well.
‘If fracking were to occur within Midlothian, the environmental affects, especially concerning the possibility of contaminated water and ruined soil, would be detrimental to the community.
‘I believe the Scottish Government is taking the necessary steps to ban fracking and we are headed in the right direction.’