(Return tabled) Question No. 152 Ms. Kirsty Duncan: With respect to the development of unconventional gas resources, including shale, tight and coal bed methane, and its possible impacts on the environment: (a) what, if any, research has the government undertaken regarding the development of unconventional gas resources, (i) what was the scope of this research in the areas of, but not limited to, air quality, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem impacts, economic impacts, occupational risks, public safety concerns, and seismic risks, (ii) what, if any, resources did the government provide for this research, (iii) what, ...[+++]if any, process was established to ensure the independence of the researchers, their research, and their findings, (iv) what, if any, case studies were considered as a part of this research, (v) what, if any, scenarios regarding the development of unconventional gas resources were developed as frameworks for the research, (vi) what economic, environmental and social impacts were identified by this research, (vii) what, if any, priority research areas were identified for further study as a result of this research, (viii) what, if any, departments were involved in this research, (ix) what, if any, action was undertaken to ensure inter-departmental cooperation throughout the research process, (x) what, if any, gaps or weaknesses in the regulatory framework did the research identify; (b) what, if any, research has the government undertaken regarding balancing shale gas' potential contribution to energy security with environmental risks; (c) what are the sources of greenhouse gas emissions associated with unconventional gas; (d) has the government developed a process to determine the overall carbon footprint of shale gas throughout the life cycle of natural gas use, if not, why not, and, if so, (i) what federal departments are involved in this process, (ii) how does the government ensure inter-departmental collaboration on this process, (iii) what is the p ...

7. Draws attention to the fact that oil is important not only for transport but also for most manufacturing industry; therefore considers that, at each stage of the production chain, all possible steps should be taken to ensure the most efficient possible use of fossil fuels so as to minimise the environmental impact and reduce pressure on scarce resources;

8. Points out that the overall objective of the strategy is to reduce to a minimum the negative environmental impact of waste; this means that, in the thematic strategy, environmental impact should be defined, that recycling is not an end in itself, especially not for hazardous waste, and that the waste hierarchy should be correctly applied for different situations and materials; it should be the environmental impact that counts; therefore calls for future legislation to give preference to waste disposal over re-use and recycling o ...[+++]nly where there is a clear evidence that it actually is more environmentally friendly; this could, for instance, be determined through a comparison of inter alia emission and energy consumption levels for the various alternative processes throughout their lifecycle;

8. Underlines that the overall objective of the strategy is to reduce to a minimum the negative environmental impact of waste; this implies that in the thematic strategy environmental impact should be defined, that recycling is not an end in itself and that the waste hierarchy is not fixed for all situations and materials; it should be the environmental impact that counts; therefore calls for future legislation only to give preference to waste prevention and recycling over regulated disposal where they actually are more environment ...[+++]ally friendly; this could, for instance, be determined through a comparison of emission and energy consumption levels for the various alternative processes;

Would the Commission agree, given the size and possible impact of certain developments such as those outlined in the Crowe Report (which proposes to build over 1 million new homes in the south east of England, over 100 000 of which will be in Hampshire), that an environmental impact assessment should be carried out on the entire planned venture, rather than on the separate and specific unit development sites, in order that we might ...[+++] gain a more accurate picture of its potential impact on the environment?

Would the Commission agree, given the size and possible impact of certain developments such as those outlined in the Crowe Report (which proposes to build over 1 million new homes in the south east of England, over 100 000 of which will be in Hampshire), that an environmental impact assessment should be carried out on the entire planned venture, rather than on the separate and specific unit development sites, in order that we might ...[+++] gain a more accurate picture of its potential impact on the environment?