A new permit issued by the regional government for the extraction of hydocarbons through the process of “fracking” in the municipal areas of Moratalla, Caravaca, Cehegin and Bullas has brought fresh protests from the Mayor of Calasparra and ecologists.
Jesus Navarro has always been one of the strongest critics of “fracking” and had previously announced the “total opposition” of Calasparra Town Hall.
Ecologists in Action has organised numerous protests and this year conceded the “Atila” award to the regional government for authorising the use of this controversial method of extraction.
However, yesterday the Ministry of Industry, Business and Innovation published news of a new application presented by the company, Oil and Gas Capital S. L., which already has authorization for a similar project in North West Murcia. In both cases the technique of “fracking,” criticised by ecologists and opposition polical parties, would be used. Oil and Gas Capital aim to search for hydocabons in an area of 20,000 hectares.
Fracking is the name given to a process used to extract gas through an unconventional hydraulic fracturing method.
The General Director of Murcia received an application from the same company in 2011 and, after an investigation, the services of the Environment announced “there would be no negative effects on the natural values of the natural network” which effectively gave the green light to the project. The Region granted the permit which also has central government approval.
Both opposition parties, the IU and the PSOE, oppose “frackiong” as environmentally damaging whereas the regional government claims that prohibiting fracking would “close the door to the future of the economy.”
