Activists met on Tuesday to plan ways of protesting the proposed oil and gas drilling on the Island — something they said would be ‘catastrophic for the Island’.
The meeting, held at the Riverside Centre, Newport, hosted by the Green Party — but not party-political — followed the announcement that UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) will be submitting plans to the Isle of Wight council.
Two sites on the Island, described as one west of Arreton and the other south west of Godshill, have been tested and UKOG intend to submit applications to drill for fossil fuels with an oil and gas well in each field.
UKOG, which holds a petroleum exploration development licence for two thirds of the Island.
Lowthion: ‘Catastrophic for the Isle of Wight’
At the meeting Vix Lowthion, Green Party parliamentary candidate, said the drilling would be ‘catastrophic for the Isle of Wight’, especially while a climate emergency had been declared. She said the Island needed to be prepared to fight the application. She said,
“The sites in Arreton and Godshill are in the centre of our Island.
“They are in the heart of our growing community.
“There is potential damage that could be done to our water, our landscape, our wildlife.”
UKOG: “Our sites are zero discharge”
Stephen Sanderson, Chief Executive, UK Oil & Gas PLC, has previously told OnTheWight,
“Our sites are constructed and operated in full compliance with EA standards, (indeed our Horse Hill site has set new standards).
“Crucially our sites are zero discharge, employing the use of impermeable membranes, which means all produced or stored fluids, even rainwater, are taken from site by road tanker.
“No fluids can enter the ground underlying the site.”
Davis: “Got to stop pulling oil out of the ground”
Steve Davis, a representative of Frack Free IOW (FFIOW) at the meeting, said it was irrelevant whether UKOG were fracking or not, and described it as ‘all more of the stuff the Earth doesn’t really need right now.’
He said:
“We have got to stop pulling oil out of the ground, it is definitely not the right way to go.
“The biggest challenge for FFIOW on the Island is apathy — people tend to think this does not happen on the Island, or they will worry about it when it happens.
“We need to get people engaged and stirred up, understanding this is a real threat and this is happening.”
Other meetings
FFIOW will be holding a further meeting on Tuesday, 10th December at The Castle Inn in Newport from 6pm.
After the meeting Ms Lowthion urged people to attend future meetings.
She said:
“I think it is good to start the ball rolling — this is just the start of what is looking like a four or five month campaign.
“This is real, this is happening and therefore we need to not think this is never going to happen on the Island. The Isle of Wight is not an exception. The Isle of Wight is going to have oil and gas drilling.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may be been made by OnTheWight. Ed
