ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have called on Newport City Council to block any attempts to carry out fracking in the area.
The city’s branch of Friends of the Earth visited the council’s headquarters on Friday, March 18, to hand in a petition against the controversial practice signed by more than 1,000 people.
Councils in Monmouthshire and elsewhere in Wales have already agreed to ban the practice and the group has called on Newport to follow their example.
Branch coordinator Dave Yates said: “We are now calling on Newport Council to listen to the wishes of so many local residents and vote to make Newport a frack free area.
“Fracking isn’t needed here or anywhere and has been linked to many problems such as increased climate change emissions, air and water pollution, increased lorry movements and decreasing house prices.”
Fracking is a method of extracting natural gas by drilling into the earth and shooting a high-pressure mix of water, sand and chemicals into the rock. Critics claim the chemicals used could contaminate water around the site and concerns have also been raised that the practice could cause tremors.
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