Mr. Dara Lynott:

I thank the Chairman and the committee for inviting the Environmental Protection Agency in to discuss progress on the unconventional gas exploration and extraction joint research programme.

As the Chairman said, I am joined today by Dr. Brian Donlon, who is the Environmental Protection Agency research manager. I will provide a short opening statement and then I will be happy to answer any questions that committee members might have. If I cannot answer them today, I will provide written answers later on.

The EPA is an independent statutory body. It was established in 1993. We have a wide range of responsibilities, including the regulation of large-scale industrial and waste facilities, monitoring and reporting on the state of the environment, overseeing local authority environmental responsibilities, co-ordinating environmental research in Ireland and, recently added, radiological protection. The main role the EPA will have with regard to unconventional gas exploration and extraction, UGEE, projects will be its regulatory role through the integrated pollution control licensing process, whereby a licence will be required for onshore extraction of shale gas on a commercial scale. The EPA does not have a regulatory role at the exploration stage of these projects but the agency will be a statutory consultee with respect to any environmental impact assessment, EIA, conducted by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in assessing any applications it might receive for exploration licences.

The agency has also commissioned and is administering a joint research programme co-funded by the EPA, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency into the environment aspects of UGEE, in particular, hydraulic fracturing of shale gas, on behalf of a steering committee comprising the EPA, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the Geological Survey of Ireland, the Commission for Energy Regulation, An Bord Pleanála, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and the Health Service Executive. I will discuss these roles in more detail presently.

We are responsible for the development, co-ordination and management of environmental research in Ireland. We have fulfilled this role since 1994. Our research is focused on major environmental challenges and the provision of policy-relevant analysis and solutions research.

In May 2012, we published a small-scale study entitled, Hydraulic Fracturing or 'Fracking': A Short Summary of Current Knowledge and Potential Environmental Impacts. This small-scale study provided an introduction to the environmental aspects of fracking, including a review of regulatory approaches used in other countries. The main findings included the importance of well integrity for preventing groundwater contamination, the importance of a knowledge of local geology regarding potential impacts on groundwater quality, the uncertainty regarding the carbon footprint of shale gas and the small number of published peer-reviewed scientific studies in this area. This preliminary research project and a public consultation in 2013 were used to finalise the terms of reference of a more comprehensive research programme. The UGEE joint research programme began in August 2014 and is scheduled to be completed in July 2016. It is funded by a number of agencies.

The research is being undertaken by a consortium of independent organisations, comprising CDM Smith, British Geological Survey, University College Dublin, Ulster of Ulster, Queens University Belfast, Foster Wheeler and Philip Lee Solicitors. I have provided more detail on each of these members in appendix A in the document provided to committee members.

This joint research programme is designed to produce the scientific basis to assist the assessment of environmental impacts associated with high-volume hydraulic fracturing or fracking in Ireland. The programme of research will assist regulators North and South in making informed decisions about fracking. Ministers in Ireland and the North have publicly stated that the issuance of fracking licences will be dependent on the outcome of a thorough independent investigation of potential impacts on the Irish environment being completed by this consortium. This precautionary approach to fracking is unique to Ireland. The research will not replace or diminish the need for any of the statutory processes needed to seek permission for a fracking licence or development.

There are five main areas to this research. These include the impacts on surface waters, groundwaters and ecosystems; the impacts on seismic activity; the impacts on air quality; international operational practice and impact mitigation; and regulatory regimes for fracking in different countries. This research project will examine the potential health impacts derived from impacts on environmental media, for example, exposure to chemicals, vibration, light, noise as well as pollution of soils, air and water. The project will also examine the prevention of environmental factors from degrading human health. The consortium will explore the potential role of health impact assessment in the regulation of UGEE projects based on the experience in other countries. Recommendations will be made towards developing a protocol in Ireland.

No hydraulic fracturing will be undertaken as part of this joint research programme. This is a comprehensive programme of research and there are many elements to it. At present, there has been good progress on the UGEE JRP. However, I emphasise that no report has issued from the EPA regarding this research programme other than periodic status updates provided to the other funding partners. The latest status report has been included in the documentation provided to the committee as appendix B. This provides an update on the progress of each task as set out in the terms of reference, dated 22 April of this year. The final report will be made publically available on the EPA website. Further details on this research programme are available on a dedicated website referred to in the documentation.

The licensing role of the EPA is restricted to class 9.1 of the first schedule of the EPA Acts. This covers the extraction, other than offshore extraction, of petroleum, natural gas, coal or bituminous shale. Any proposed project involving the commercial-scale extraction of shale gas would, therefore, need to apply to the EPA for, and be granted, an IPC licence to operate. Any licence issued for such an activity would also regulate the environmental aspects of any hydraulic fracturing operations taking place as part of the extraction facility. No such application has been received by the EPA to date. Any application received in future will be assessed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the requirements of the EPA Acts. Key environmental issues to be addressed in any future application include potential for groundwater contamination from methane migration, the impact of any chemical additives to the fracking fluid, treatment and disposal of flow-back fluid, greenhouse gas emissions and water usage.

Research reports commissioned by the EPA are intended as contributions to the necessary debate on the protection of the environment. Further research is required to fully understand the potential impacts on the environment from the use of this technology. The key questions this research needs to answer are whether this technology can be used while also fully protecting the environment and human health, and, if so, what is best environmental practice in using the technology. The question of whether the existing EU environmental regulatory framework is adequate for unconventional fossil fuels projects is also being addressed.

This joint research programme aims to inform policymakers and other stakeholders on a range of questions in respect of environmental protection. The research programme will result in a series of reports that will help regulators North and South in coming to an informed decision if and when a licensing application is received for UGEE in the coming years. I hope I have given the committee an overview of this project and I am happy to answer any questions committee members may have.