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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency has the power to require baseline monitoring of (a) groundwater and (b) air quality (i) before a consent for a hydraulic fracturing development is given and (ii) after such consent has been given but before the commencement of any such fracturing.

The Environment Agency has the powers under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 (EPRs) to require baseline monitoring of groundwater and air quality for each site proposing to undertake hydraulic fracturing.

All oil and gas exploratory sites need permits under the EPRs. Any requirements for baseline monitoring would be made pre-operational conditions of the environmental permit with which the operator has to comply before hydraulic fracturing can commence.