UK fracking: the legal implications

Matthew Germain, lawyer at international law firm Osborne Clarke, comments on the legal implications of fracking:

“The legal framework governing shale exploration in the UK is complex yet well thought out with significant safeguarding agencies in place in the form of the HSE, Environment Agency, DECC and local councils. The key will be quickly identifying those sites which can be safely explored and which can progress through the consenting process.

“Sites in protected areas or with high environmental sensitivity are likely to prove simply too difficult. The onus is now on the government to articulate to the public the safeguards and benefits as well as being transparent on the risks. The public will rightly need to be convinced so recent legal changes, such as the change in the trespass law, can be objectively considered.”

Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/exploration/28072014/the-legal-implications-of-fracking-in-the-uk-1145/