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Residents ‘shocked’ and ‘frightened’ by latest move and what future holds

By: 
The Impartial Reporter

Residents on the Gardrum Road, Belcoo were “shocked” and “frightened” when they were woken at 5am on Monday morning by the sound of heavy vehicles making their way up the road towards an unused Acheson and Glover quarry.

Bernie and Martin McGrath read the letter from Tamboran; also pictured is Andrew Tracey.

 

They reported seeing approximately six low-loader lorries accompanied by seven PSNI jeeps and a number of cars.

It was the arrival of a security firm and workers from fracking company Tamboran, which intends to drill a 750 metre deep scientific exploratory borehole on the site. Tamboran will extract rock samples from the borehole and examine them for shale gas content. If the company decide there is enough shale gas present to make its extraction from the ground (using fracking) economically viable, it will move to the next stage of its work plan.

Ultimately, Tamboran plan to create 60 fracking pads in Fermanagh. Each pad will be six acres in size and will be spaced two-three kilometres apart, with between 12-20 well pads on each site. It will use hydraulic fracturing to release shale gas from below the earth, which opponents say could harm water, soil, the air and peoples’ health.

In a statement on Monday, Tamboran said that drilling this borehole will not require fracking. They said this phase will “determine if it will be possible to extract the gas at a much later date, subject to full planning approval.”

Anti-fracking activists have been anticipating an unannounced arrival and have been planning their protests against fracking for over a year now. But the 5am arrival by Tamboran still came as a surprise to all.

Andrew Tracey, 18, Gardrum Road, Belcoo

“We were woken at 5am this morning by six lorries and a load of police wagons.

We had a rough idea that something like this might happen because there has been a lot of talk but we didn’t know when.

It’s going to wreak the country. I will be protesting tonight against fracking. We are beef and sheep farmers; the farming will be wreaked if this starts.

I am a part-time mechanic but I will leave the country if they start to frack because you’d end up being poisoned around here.”

Bernie McGrath, Gardrum Road, Belcoo

“I have just welcomed my son home from hospital after a serious football injury resulted in him being on life support. We have enough going on without this.

Three men arrived this morning around 10am and put a letter through the letter-box about fracking. I immediately thought: ‘No way.’

They write: ‘We are going to drill a hole near Belcoo’ but I fear that it’s going to be more than that; a lot more.

I have no job come this September and I have been so concerned about my son; this is an added stress for the family.

They say they want to be a good neighbour but they are an unwelcome neighbour.

Nobody in this area will be happy to see them; we are not on for it at all.”

Larry McKeown, father of Lawrence and Conor McKeown

“I was very surprised when I heard the commotion this morning. There was no word about it.

I can’t see it being stopped.

I’m not worried at the moment because they say they are only drilling a borehole which would be the same as drilling for water, but if fracking goes ahead this will affect all of Fermanagh.

I have a friend who lives in Australia. It’s so vast out there you might not always see the frack sites but he said that, where you can see them, the damage is unreal.

Tamboran could have been more up-front about it, instead of sneaking up on people while they are sleeping.

It’s all about power and money with these big companies.”

Geraldine Leonard, Gardrum Road, Belcoo

“I didn’t know what was going on. I haven’t been sleeping well since my husband died; I heard the heavy noise and I was frightened.

I saw lots of activity going on. I left my daughter to work and when I returned, a letter from Tamboran had been put through my letter box.

I chatted a friend in the village who said that they were expecting this to happen but little did I know it was 300 yards from my home.

Look out the window at that view [of Lough McNean and Culcaigh Mountain]; what more could you ask for?

We don’t want our county destroyed. It doesn’t matter where you live, fracking will affect all of Fermanagh.

No-one has given us any information; we can’t believe this is happening around us; everyone is in shock. People are angry that they have just moved in in a matter of hours.

All of this on top of losing my husband; it is very hard to take it in.”

Posted Date: 
26 July 2014