Dr. Aedín McLoughlin:

A Chathaoirligh, a Theachtaí Dála, a Sheanadóirí agus a dhaoine uaisle, go raibh maith agaibh as an gcuireadh a thug sibh dom bheith anseo inniu. Tá an-áthas orm a bheith in ann labhairt libh faoin tionscal seo atá ag iarraidh teacht go hÉirinn, an tionscal gáis a úsaidéann scoilteadh hiodrálach, fracáil talamh, chun an gás a bhrú ón doimhneas. Tá súil agam go mbeidh mé in ann pictiúr a thabhairt don choiste den dochar a dhéanfadh sé siúd don talamh, do shláinte dhaoine agus don tionscal talmhaíochta, atá chomh tábhachtach in Éirinn.

I will give the committee an overview of what is meant by fracking, a picture of the scale of the project proposed and its impacts on the land. I will also address the risk of groundwater contamination, which I know has been discussed previously but some of the slides might give a better view of the problem. I will also discuss the impacts on health, the promise of jobs and the social impacts of this boom and bust industry.

Onshore shale gas extraction is not the same as a North Sea oil or gas rig. In conventional shale gas extraction there is a reservoir of gases underneath and a few wells can extract vast volumes of gas. In the Corrib gas field five wells can extract 1 trillion cu. ft. In unconventional gas extraction the target area is deeper, the gas must be released by high-volume hydraulic fracturing and thousands of wells may be needed to extract the same volume of gas. In the north west, the proposal is to take over 156 sq. m., industrialise it, build 120 pads and drill 3,000 wells. The scale of this project cannot be compared with a conventional proposal.

This slide shows a picture of what would come to Ireland. I am not speaking only about north Leitrim; I am also speaking about Fermanagh, Clare and other places where proposals may be made for shale gas extraction. The pads shown are seven acres each and it is proposed to place one in every square mile throughout the target area. A total of 24 wells are to be drilled from each pad, which is 3,000 in total. This is the Tamboran proposal for north Leitrim and Fermanagh. We do not know what proposal will be made for Clare.

The picture shows a pad in British Columbia. Soon after the picture was published a report showed that more than 40 seismic events were recorded where none had been recorded prior to 2009. We know earthquakes were caused by the first two wells drilled in the UK. The target area in Ireland has many geological faults so there is a high risk of the same thing happening.

I am not speaking about the exploratory stage; I am speaking about what would happen if the proposal reached the production stage. I see this as being like a juggernaut. If it reaches the exploratory stage and the results are good this slide shows what we can look forward to in rural areas of Ireland and, if the area is good, it will creep towards centres of population. This slide shows Dish in Texas. If one logs on to Google Earth and keys in Dimock in Pennsylvania or Alberta in Canada one will see the same thing. These places are not populated, but there are people the length and breadth of Ireland and the countryside is dotted with little villages and communities which have existed for generations.

This slide shows a map of north-west Ireland indicating where the proposal would be situated. The red circle is the first phase proposed by Tamboran where 3,000 wells are to be drilled. The blue circle shows where the company could go afterwards because the shale there is more than 700 metres thick. The company could go down around Lough Allen into the Shannon River area. Where the company is now is in the Shannon catchment area, which is also linked to the Erne catchment. Whatever is done in Fermanagh will affect the South. Similar areas are found in clear extending through Limerick into north Kerry and Cork. Many other counties need to be aware of this proposal.

This slide shows a bird's eye view of what the area proposed for fracking would look like with the pads. I will now show committee members some animations which will make a twinkly effect. The slide gives an idea of the density of the pads. It does not show the access roads, gas pipelines or huge machinery involved. It would have huge consequences for the land. These are areas of high visual amenity, vast underground water and cave systems and blanket bogs. There is no room in the proposal for the farms which exist. They may survive for a while but they will have contamination problems. If there is a rumour of contamination entering the food chain it could have a disastrous consequence for agriculture throughout Ireland and not only in this part of the country.

This is a diagram of under the ground. The lower line shows the depth of the Barnett Shale in the US. It is very deep and goes from 1,500 metres to 3,000 metres, which is one to two miles below the ground. Whatever happens at this distance is very far away from the surface of the water. The vertical lines show the depth of the fractures caused by hydraulic fracturing. They can be 580 metres long and at this depth one might suggest they do not do any harm. This slide shows the groundwater depth, which we know can go down to 150 metres below the ground and this shows where it is proposed to frack in Ireland. The shale is much shallower and goes from 500 metres to 1,250 metres. The same type and length of fracture will cause a high risk of contamination of the aquifers.

Any geologist will cringe at this slide, which shows a very simplified view of the various layers in the area we are discussing. We have shallow aquifers towards the top, layers of rock, and the shale target area, which is between 500 metres and 1,250 metres.

The geology of north County Leitrim is unusual in that there is another aquifer under the shale layer. It is called Ballyshannon limestone, because that is where it rises to the top. Where it approaches the top is also the source of the water supply of Ballyshannon and south County Donegal. People from the area need to be aware that this layer goes deep into the ground under the shale layer. At that depth, the ground is dense and water does not flow. The next animations will show how the drill goes through the shale layer and then across. That is fine, but the layer subsequently fractures. If the fractures are of the same length as the fractures shown in the previous slide, it is not just a case of the aquifer underneath being fracked, but also the aquifer above. This will not necessarily be the consequence of shallow fracking in an area with aquifers above and below, but it certainly could be.

When the aquifer is fracked, it is shattered. That is what "fracking" means. It becomes more permeable and water can then flow. I have been given this advice by a hydrogeologist. A scale is described at the top of the slide. I have included a little drill, but drill derricks are approximately 100 ft. tall and extraordinarily powerful.

I have outlined some of the risks. There are risks to ground water from cement casing failures, which present significant problems. Wells are supposed to be protected from the land by cement, but it is difficult to form a bond between cement and the clay soil of the areas being drilled. The incidence of casing failure is higher the older a well grows. We do not know what this will mean for the transport of fluids or gases. Fluids and gases also move through fractures or faults and can reach ground water sources.

Accidents cause spillages and the contamination of lakes and streams. We cannot legislate for accidents, but we know from industry papers that the number of accidents causing pollution events is approximately 21% of the wells drilled. The industry actually congratulated itself on halving the number of accidents.

No one has explained how the large volumes of contaminated waste water will be treated. It will be difficult, as it will be high in salt, etc. Methane will leak into the air. Some 1,000 vehicles are required to build a pad with a well, but we are discussing approximately 60 pads and 3,000 wells. Dust and ozone pollution from traffic will be a major problem.

If this is not bad enough, we will need to consider the effects on health. Chemicals will go down in the fracking fluid and will be added to by a range of substances below. The nine most common chemicals found in fracking fluids have serious effects on human and animal health. The next slide was produced by a reputable organisation that researches the effect of chemicals. As members can see, the entire body is affected, including the nervous, endocrine, respiratory, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems, the kidneys, etc. The slide does not show the nine chemicals in detail, but they include biocides, petroleum products, breakers, gel makers, etc. Fracking without chemicals is impossible. From a chemist's point of view, all substances are chemicals. Even if one is using sand and water, it counts as a mixture of chemicals. Modern technology does not allow the industry to function without the use of chemicals.

We do not know what the long-term effects will be. High-density, high-volume hydraulic fracturing is a new industry and has only been around for the past seven years or so. The studies of long-term effects have only just started. One must also examine the effects on communities, including stress, disruption and deterioration of quality of life.

It has been proposed that the industry will create many jobs. I wish to point out the pattern of jobs created in the US. Initially, many workers are involved. Establishing each well requires approximately 400 workers, but these jobs are not cumulative. The workers move from well to well. Although some jobs are created, the number is in the hundreds, not thousands. Those involved are normally migrant workers, teams brought in by the oil companies with no relationship to the land or the people living in the area. It is a boom and bust cycle. The company proposes a 15-year cycle in the development phase. The workers will come and go. There are fewer longer term jobs. The 60 pads in County Leitrim will probably create 180 jobs, given the intensity of the operation.

The populations in the target areas - Fermanagh, Leitrim, Clare and north Kerry - are significantly engaged in agriculture and tourism. The new jobs will cause a considerable displacement of jobs on the ground. If farming is disrupted, many more jobs will be lost than will be created.

Experience of the development phase in the US is for a sudden influx of new people to an area. This poses challenges in terms of housing, culture and public services. Some 400 does not sound like much in Dublin, but it is a large number in a rural area and will cause problems. Social problems will increase because of the divide between the haves and the have-nots, those who are making a great deal of money and those who are making none. These problems include crime, mental health issues, community dissatisfaction and conflict. It is well known and documented that wherever the industry sets up, it is followed by increased levels of alcoholism, drug taking and prostitution. This is the type of future that may wait for the areas in question.

There are also the public health problems which I spoke of, including allergies, respiratory and immune issues. Another very reputable organisation has pointed these out.

All of this means we have a choice of whether to go down this path. Even talk of giving out exploratory licences has an implication for the granting of production licences. We need a clear commitment from the Government that it will not provide any licences for on-shore shale gas exploration or development. It must be adopted by the Government as policy that high-volume hydraulic fracturing will be prohibited in Ireland. We are not saying there can be no investigation of alternative technologies or energies but this technology should not be allowed in Ireland.