Business lobbies in France trying to rescind France's ban on hydraulic fracking received a strong rebuttal from the French Environmental and Energy Minister Delphine Batho during a radio debate.
Bloomberg
“We have to have our eyes wide open about what is going on in the U.S.,” Environmental and Energy Minister Delphine Batho said during a radio debate. “The reality is that the cost of producing gas doesn’t take into account considerable environmental damage.” Earthquakes, aquifer pollution, heavy metal contamination, increased truck traffic and damage to the countryside are consequences of fracking, the minister said.
France outlawed fracking in 2011 under the government of former President Nicolas Sarkozy because of environmental concerns. His successor Francois Hollande has said he supports the ban. The country’s business lobbies have stepped up a campaign in recent months in favor of shale energy development, which commonly uses fracking. The lobbies argue it would help reverse France’s industrial decline, raise competitiveness through cheaper energy supplies and lower unemployment.
“The U.S. has invented environmental dumping,” Batho said today. “Gas prices in the U.S. don’t take into account the cost of environmental damage that future generations will have to pay.”
Fracking Hell