Today in Bulgaria we are celebrating the 4th anniversary of the decision of the Bulgarian Parliament to introduce a ban on fracking as a prevention from contamination of the water, pollution of land and creation of earthquakes.
A video from the last big demonstration in Sofia, 4 days before the vote in the plenary – https://vimeo.com/35082026
The text of the ban which you can use in your campaigns:
REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
41ST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
DECISION
for ban on the application of the hydraulic fracturing technology for exploration and/or extraction of gas and oil on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria
The National Assembly, pursuant to art. 86, par. 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria and art. 78 of the Interior regulations for the organization and the work of the National Assembly and proceeding from the principle of precaution regarding the protection of public health and the environment
HAS DECIDED:
(1. Prohibits the application of the hydraulic fracturing technology, hydrofracking, fracking and/or any other possible term describing the injection of a mixture of water and other fluid or gel-like substances with chemical compounds, elements or components, propants, fluids, propane, as well as mechanical and/or organic fillers, at a pressure larger than 20 atmospheres under the earth for exploration and/or extraction with the aim to extract and produce oil or natural gas on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria)
On 14th of June 2012 point 1 was changed to a more clarify and strict text:
1. Prohibited the application of the technology of hydraulic rupture / fraking / or any other technology which pressed a mixture of fluids (gels or liquefied gas), chemical additives and / or fluid, mechanical and / or organic fillers in drilling wells causing the creation of new formation and / or expansion of existing natural cracks or fissure systems in all sedimentary formations, including coal seams for exploration and production of oil and natural gas.
2. Prohibits the extraction of shale gas on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria using the technology described in Art. 1.
3. Prohibits the field explorations for the tracing down of deposits or opportunities for extraction of oil and natural gas on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, which apply the method of hydraulic fracturing, any methods corresponding to the ones described in Art. 1 or any similar methods.
4. All exploratory and extractive activities planning to use the technology described in Art. 1 or any similar technology need to be immediately ceased, as of the date of the promulgation of this decision. The offenders will be sanctioned with a fine of 100,000,000 BGN.
5. All physical persons and/or legal entities that have received an exploration permit or a concession for the extraction of oil and gas and are affected by the current ban, are given a period of 3 months, as of the date this decision enters into force, during which time they have to submit for approval their revised working projects which have to exclude the prohibited methods.
6. The subjects mentioned in Art.5 that do not submit their new working projects before the deadline or submit projects that do not fulfil the requirements of this decision lose the rights that have granted to them with the respective permit or concession, and they will have no right of compensation.
7. Prohibits the issuing of licenses, the conclusion of concession and other contracts, as well as the performing of any legal or factual activities in violation of the current Decision.
8. The ban is not imposed upon R&D explorations which fulfill all of the following conditions: are made by independent scientific organizations, don’t have a business/trade purpose, have a purpose to study the risks from the extraction of oil and natural gas and do not use the prohibited method of hydraulic fracturing or similar methods.
9. The current ban is termless and is in force for the whole territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, including the aquatory of the Black Sea.
10. The control on the application of this decision is assigned to the Council of Ministers.
11. The decision enters into force as of the date of its promulgation in the State Gazette.
The decision is adopted by the Forty-first National Assembly on 18 January 2012 and is stamped with the official stamp of the National Assembly.
—
We would like to wish a success to those of you who are still fighting for a fracking ban! I hope that your countries will be following the decisions of countries like Bulgaria, France, Netherlands, etc.
#BanFrackingNow for a
#FrackFreeWorld