It is considered so dangerous that Scotland has banned it. Paul Wheelhouse, the Scottish environment minister, says it poses ‘numerous and serious’ risks to the environment. Please sign this petition to demand that England follows suit and bans Underground Coal Gasification (UCG).
UCG involves setting coal alight underground, and has a history littered with contamination issues and industrial accidents. As such, Scotland’s decision to ban UCG has been celebrated by environmental activists.
The decision follows an expert report from Prof Campbell Gemmell, former chief executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, who found UCG to be unproven and under-regulated.
UGC technology is an untested method that is many years away from approval by UK regulators. This means that it would currently be easy for England to impose a ban. UCG is also very expensive, meaning that it is not only unattractive environmentally but makes little sense economically.
Mary Church, from Friends of the Earth, responded to the Scottish ban by saying: “This is a victory for people power.’’ Now it’s time for some more people power down south. Please sign this petition to demand that England bands UCG. Together we can secure a greener future for our energy industry.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS):
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) has recently been banned in Scotland in response to findings that it is risky and untested.
It's now time for England to do the same, in order to protect our vulnerable environment and commit to energy policies that keep us safe both now and in the future.
[Your comments]
Sincerely,
[Your name]
