CEE Bankwatch: Shale gas in Poland: Government gags local opposition
Poland’s government is hasting to adopt liberal shale gas legislation. It tries to avoid any interference by factually excluding local opposition movements and by pre-empting the development of an EU wide framework on unconventional fossil fuels.:
Amid the excitement about a European shale gas boom - that sooner or later will also get international public lenders interested - critical voices and any opposition to the controversial “fracking” technology are a thorn in the sides of governments dreaming of an end to the dependence on Russian gas and energy firms dreaming of a shale gas bonanza.
In Poland, where almost one third of the land area is subject to exploratory drilling licences, the government apparently wants to avoid any interference in the exploitation of the already “dwindling” reserves (so far every new estimation of the size of shale gas deposits has been a downward correction of earlier figures).
All short-term local protest movements are simply and by decree rejected as a bunch of opportunistic racketeers. This is the Polish environment ministry speaking! MORE