Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what techniques to minimise methane emissions (a) are and (b) does she plan to be a requirement of environmental permits for hydraulic fracturing.

Any unintentional release of gas is considered an extractive waste and is regulated by the Environment Agency through the extractive (mining) waste permit. Operators must develop a Waste Management Plan, which is submitted to the Environment Agency as part of a permit application. The Waste Management Plan sets out the measures to be used to control extractive wastes on site and to ensure they are managed safely.

The Environment Agency regulates the flaring of gases from oil and gas exploration through either an extractive (mining) waste permit where the quantity of gas flared is less than 10 tonnes per day or through a permit under the Industrial Emissions Directive where more than 10 tonnes a day is flared. The Environment Agency requires the use of an enclosed flare and will not allow open flaring or venting other than for safety reasons.