A consultation into an environmental permit application from
Rathlin Energy (UK) Limited has been extended by the Environment
Agency following feedback.
It will also hold a public drop-in event to ensure all interested
residents and groups can share their views on the application.
The consultation opened on Tuesday 19 November and was originally
planned to close on Friday 3 January 2025.
In response to representations from residents about it running
across Christmas, the consultation period has now been extended
for three weeks and will now close on Friday 24 January.
To improve access to the consultation documentation and
information, the Environment Agency will also host a drop-in
event.
This will take place on:
- Thursday 9 January 2025 at Sproatley Village Hall, Sproatley
Road, Sproatley, Hull, HU11 4GA between 12 noon and 4pm.
Important all interested parties have their say
Peter Stevenson, Area Environment Manager at the Environment
Agency, said:
It's important to us that all interested parties can view the
consultation documents and provide a response.
I'd like to reassure people that we will carry out a detailed and
rigorous assessment of Rathlin Energy's application.
We welcome comments from the public and interested groups on
local environmental factors that people feel are important.
Regulatory controls for the onshore oil and gas industry are in
place to protect people and the environment.
The Environment Agency may only refuse a permit application if it
does not meet one or more of the legal requirements under
environmental legislation, including if it will have an
unacceptable impact on the environment or harm human health.
If all the requirements are met, the Environment Agency is
legally obliged to issue a permit.
Permit variation application for ‘reservoir
stimulation'
Rathlin Energy UK Ltd, which has operated at West Newton in East
Yorkshire since 2013, has an environmental permit for drilling
wells and long-term oil and gas production.
It has applied to vary the permit for West Newton A well site
(WNA) at Fosham Road in High Fosham.
It has applied to carry out ‘reservoir stimulation' on the
existing WNA-2 well. This is a process used by the oil and gas
industry, which is designed to improve the efficiency of the flow
of oil or gas through the reservoir rock and into the well.
Mining and extractive industries must have an environmental
permit to operate. Issued by the Environment
Agency, environmental permits detail the conditions
that an operator is required to meet to ensure its activities
minimise the risk of harm to people and the environment.
The consultation is live on the Environment
Agency's Citizen Space website.
Those unable to access this information online or attend the
drop-in should contact the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506.
