Ruskell hails victory in fracking fight
The Scottish Greens Energy and Climate Spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP has hailed a victory in the fight against fracking, after the Scottish Government finally acted to put a stop to fracking in Scotland following a seven year campaign.
Greens led the first parliamentary debate on the topic in 2012, and have been at the forefront of opposition to this dangerous practice ever since.
Mark Ruskell MSP said:
“I am delighted that the Scottish Greens have been able to deliver the fracking ban that communities have been calling for. We’ve pushed the Scottish Government all the way on this issue, ever since we led the first debate on the subject in 2012, and have worked with communities across the country to highlight the major public health and environmental concerns that fracking presented. This decision emphasises that Greens continue to punch above our weight, and is just the latest example of Green MSPs leading the change in the Scottish Parliament.
“Now the moratorium on planning decisions has been lifted Ministers must move to reject INEOS’s application to exploit gas in the Forth Valley. Communities have lived under the shadow of a Coal Bed Methane development since 2012 and in some cases residents have even struggled to sell their houses. The final nail in the coffin for fracking in Scotland would be a speedy rejection of this development bringing years of uncertainty to an end.”