Cameron Rejects Calls for Fracking Ban by UK State Environmental Watchdog

MOSCOW, January 26 (Sputnik) — The UK Prime Minister David Cameron rejected the call for a moratorium on fracking by members of parliament in the UK Environment Audit Committee (EAC) on Monday.

“I want to see unconventional [shale] gas properly exploited in our country,” David Cameron was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

According to Cameron, fracking would provide greater energy security for the United Kingdom. “We want to keep prices down, we also want to tackle climate change,” he added.

At the same time in a leaked letter posted on the Guardian’s website, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, instructed cabinet ministers to speed up progress on fracking.

On Monday, the EAC issued a report calling for an amendment to the government’s infrastructure bill to introduce a moratorium on fracking. According to the EAC, the proposed infrastructure bill would lead to the damage of “Britain’s national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty,” and would hinder the country’s target to mitigate the effects of climate change.

According to the watchdog, the bill would allow tax concessions for fracking companies. The EAC added that fracking was also not "commercially viable" amid the country’s tightening carbon budgets and the growing renewable energy sector.

Meanwhile, hundreds of anti-fracking activists protested outside the UK parliament on Monday to oppose the bill, as reported by the newspaper.

Voting on the bill will take place on Monday following a debate in parliament.

Fracking was suspended in the United Kingdom between June 2011 and April 2012 on account of several minor quakes caused by the drilling. However, further research concluded that fracking could be resumed as the risk of earthquakes was deemed to be minimal.