Drilling for shale gas remains under an unlimited ban, said German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks, dismissing media reports of government intentions to soften the fracking ban. But she did not rule out certain “rare” exceptions. EurActiv Germany reports.
“In general, fracking with environmentally toxic substances is prohibited,” explained German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks on Monday (17 November) speaking with Deutschlandfunk radio. “That is also what we determined in the coalition agreement and this ban absolutely does not expire,” the social democrat said.
Der Spiegel reported that the German government was planning to soften its ban on commercial fracking. The news magazine wrote that trial drilling was possible if expert committees made up of at least six scientists showed no concerns. In addition, the report indicated intentions to omit a paragraph stating that only fracking deeper than 3,000 metres would be permitted. A corresponding measure was expected to be passed through the Bundestag this year, Der Spiegel’s article read.
The compromise was supposedly mediated by Chancellery Minister Peter Altmaier, at the initiation of the economic wing of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Mining, Chemicals and Energy Trade Union and the Federation of German Industries.
The Bundestag’s factions are currently in deliberations over a measure on fracking. “Once these agreements are concluded, the draft law will go into consultations among the departments and then it will soon be ripe for the cabinet and be approved”, explained deputy government spokesperson Christiane Wirtz on Monday.
But Hendricks dismissed Der Spiegel’s report. Commercial fracking above 3,000 metres will not be permitted, she told Deutschlandfunk. The German government’s expert commission has the possibility to express its opinion, she indicated, “but the ban is still valid: fracking is prohibited for a depth less than 3,000 metres,” Hendricks emphasised. Trial drilling can be conducted for scientific reasons, but only without the use of water polluting fracking substances, the Environment Minister said.