Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will take steps to ensure that independent monitoring of drill sites and their effect on public health and local geology takes place.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) scrutinises well design and monitors its progress to ensure the operator manages risks effectively throughout the life cycle of the well. The well design is scrutinised by HSE through the well notification system before construction. HSE also monitor well construction based on weekly reports to its well specialists. Any significant changes to well construction are subject to the same scrutiny. An independent well examiner will also review the design and construction of the well. To date onshore operators have used separate companies to supply this service, they have not been delivered in-house.

Public Health England has reviewed the potential public health impact of direct emissions of chemicals and radioactive material from the extraction of shale gas. The report concluded that the potential risks to public health from exposure to the emissions associated with shale gas extraction will be low if the operations are properly run and regulated.

Once drilling has commenced, there is a further system for monitoring and regulating risk. Well operators have a legal duty to manage and control the risks to people, so far as is reasonably practicable. The Health and Safety Executive monitors well construction and decommissioning operations to check these legal duties are met. The environmental regulator will monitor the environmental impacts through monitoring and inspections of the operator’s reports. In some cases, depending on the risks presented by a site or community concerns, they may undertake extra monitoring themselves. Conditions attached to permits will give the minimum level of site-based monitoring and reporting.