Residents confront fracking firm
A fracking firm which wants to begin testing at a West Lancashire site has met with the public for the first time.
Aurora Energy Resources last month applied to open an exploratory well site at Altcar Moss, near the border with Sefton. Campaign group Frack Free Formby had already raised concerns about the proposals and now says it remains unconvinced by the company.
Aurora held the meeting at Haskayne Village Hall on Saturday to explain its proposals and give residents the chance to ask questions. It was the first information event to be held within the local community and a further event will take place later in the year, prior to the likely submission of a planning application.
The company proposes to drill and hydraulically fracture both a vertical and a separate horizontal well at Altcar Moss to evaluate the potential to produce hydrocarbons from deeply-buried, carboniferous-age rocks. Among those to attend the meeting were representatives of the Moss Alliance, a recently formed collective of groups opposed to the proposal.
A spokesman said: “The Moss Alliance estimates that at least 50 of the persons who attended Aurora’s public exhibition last Saturday were either members of local antifracking groups or people who had attended their pre-meetings in Formby on February 6 and Haskayne on February 10. As a consequence, Aurora’s exhibitors faced a very large number of persistent and perceptive questions.
“The feedback to the Moss Alliance about the event from those who attended included criticism that a number of the exhibit boards contained misleading graphics. Attendees generally felt Aurora was poorly prepared to respond to the depth of local concerns about the impact of fracking.”
Ian Roche, managing director of Aurora Energy Resources, said: “Events such as these are important as they provide an opportunity for members of the local community to view the initial proposals and to ask the project team any questions.
“Aurora Energy Resources is committed to engaging with the local community. This is our first step in the consultation process and we will be keeping the community updated throughout.”