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Cameron vow on fracking dangers
David Cameron has said Lancashire’s ‘fracking’ dynasty will not begin until it is safe.
The Prime Minister has said he believed unlocking the reserves of gas in shale rock under the county’s countryside had the potential to be a “revolution” creating thousands of extra jobs for the county.
During a visit to the Lancashire Evening Post newsroom yesterday, he said safety would be “of paramount importance” amid reports proving exploration work caused a pair of earth tremors and fears chemicals will contaminate water supplies.
Mr Cameron said: “Safety has to be of paramount importance whether it is the nuclear industry, which the North West has a lot invested in, or whether it is shale gas. The point is we must not shut our eyes to the potential these sources of energy have, the interesting possibility for Britain is, ‘can we have long-term supplies of cost-effective energy, relatively green that makes us more independent and can keep us competitive?’
“It is a very interesting prospect.”
He said he was “very interested” in ‘fracking’ and said he would wait for the end of a six-week public consultation into a study published by the Department for Energy which this week said the controversial process should be allowed to resume.
The PM said: “We can complete the review and see whether gas can be extracted safely, clearly in America this has been something of a revolution.
“We have to remember we are a smaller country, a heavily populated country and people want to know (about this industry) and there are a lot of important questions which need to be answered.
“But, I am fully alert to the potential and I am looking very closely at this industry with energy independence and security of vital importance to our country.”
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Weather for Preston
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
