On the 15th September an Environmental Scoping Report was submitted to Lancashire County Council on behalf of Canatxx by Hyder Consulting (UK) Ltd. The first point to note is that this is NOT a planning application to which the public can make objections. The aim of the report is to "identify the key environmental issues and the extent of the data, surveys and assessment work that may be required".
Canatxx's previous application to store gas under the Wyre estuary was turned down after a Public Inquiry. In response to the reasons given for refusal the Report states that "the revised proposals will deal with all these issues raised by the Secretary of State and the new Environmental Statement, in conjunction with the Planning Statement, will set out that information which the Secretary of State considered necessary".
According to the Inspector's conclusions, Canatxx would need to:
(A) Carry out a detailed site investigation to identify proposed locations for the caverns
(B) At each of the proposed locations drill a cored borehole. These must confirm that there is no possibility of cavern roof failure.
(C) Investigate the ground conditions in the whole of the area where the brine wells are located.
(D) Establish the extent of the wet rockhead - ie where the top layers of the salt bed have been dissolved.
Canatxx has begun putting down the foundations for four boreholes - 1) near Preesall Sewage Works 2) between Arm Hill and The Heads 3)4) two boreholes on the corners of The Heads.
The Scoping Report makes no mention of the Inspector's comments that "Canatxx has not placed sufficient weight on the possibility of risk to the public using the Wyre Way, caused by a well head fire, from an accident or from sabotage".
The possibility of such an event has been shown recently by the fire at a gas storage well head in Pennsylvania which began on the 12th September 2008 and is still burning. Anyone within 150m of the well head at the time of the explosion would not have survived. Yet Canatxx proposals indicate a security fence of only 10m radius around each of their well heads.
Also unaddressed is the issue of how the fire is tackled and how people are evacuated. Luckily the area of Pennsylvania is unpopulated but a fire of this nature would be outside the scope and experience of local firefighters and the country roads are totally unsuitable for the specialist equipment needed.
In previous cases of well head fires, all the population within 3 miles have been evacuated. Can you imagine evacuating 100,000 people from Fleetwood, Cleveleys, Anchorsholme, Thornton, Poulton as well as Over Wyre? This is such an unsuitable location both geologically and geographically.
In the mean time Canatxx plans to hold a public exhibition from the 22nd to the 24th October at the Wyre Villa FC pavilion in Stalmine. As far as I know they have no plans to hold the exhibition on this side of the river despite the fact that 75% of objections came from the west bank. Please go along and make your views known. Canatxx says that opinions and suggestions can really make a difference. If only that were true.
For further information and links go to the Protect Wyre Group website www.pwgroup.org.uk www.pwgroup.org.uk
Howard Phillips Vice-Chair PWG, Chair Thornton Action Group