With now over 900 peer-reviewed studies showing harms of #fracking, will @EPAIreland study take these into account?

Unconventional gas exploration and extraction (UGEE) involves hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) of low permeability rock to permit the extraction of natural gas on a commercial scale from unconventional sources, such as shale gas deposits, coal seams and tight sandstone. The UGEE Joint Research Programme (JRP) (www.ugeeresearch.ie) is composed of five interlinked projects and involves field studies (baseline monitoring of water and seismicity), as well as an extensive desk-based literature review of UGEE practices and regulations worldwide. The UGEE JRP was designed to provide the scientific basis that will assist regulators - in both Northern Ireland and Ireland - to make informed decisions about whether or not it is environmentally safe to permit UGEE projects/operations involving fracking. As well as research in Ireland, the UGEE URP looks at and collates evidence from other countries.

The JRP is funded by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, DCCAE (formerly the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) and the Environment Division of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG)) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). The research programme was managed by a steering committee comprising the EPA, representatives from DCCAE, the Geological Survey of Ireland, Commission for Energy Regulation, An Bord Pleanála, NIEA, the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and the Health Service Executive.

UGEE Joint Research Programme

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/ugeejointresearchprogramme/ugeeisr.html

Year	Title
2016	UGEE Integrated Synthesis Report UGEE Joint Research Programme Integrated Synthesis Report
2016	Final Report 1: Baseline Characterisation of Groundwater, Surface Water and Aquatic Ecosystems (part 1 of 4) UGEE Joint Research Programme Final Report 1 (part 1 of 4)
2016	Final Report 1: Baseline Characterisation of Groundwater, Surface Water and Aquatic Ecosystems (part 2 of 4) UGEE Joint Research Programme Final Report 1 (part 2 of 4)
2016	Final Report 1: Baseline Characterisation of Groundwater, Surface Water and Aquatic Ecosystems (part 3 of 4) UGEE Joint Research Programme Final Report 1 (part 3 of 4)
2016	Final Report 1: Baseline Characterisation of Groundwater, Surface Water and Aquatic Ecosystems (part 4 of 4) UGEE Joint Research Programme Final Report 1 (part 4 of 4)
2016	Summary Report 1: Baseline Characterisation of Groundwater, Surface Water and Aquatic Ecosystems  UGEE Joint Research Programme Summary Report 1
2016	Final Report 2: Baseline Characterisation of Seismicity UGEE Joint Research Programme Final Report 2
2016	Summary Report 2 : Baseline Characterisation of Seismicity UGEE Joint Research Programme Summary Report 2
2016	Final Report 3: Baseline Characterisation of Air Quality UGEE Joint Research Programme Final Report 3
2016	Summary Report 3: Baseline Characterisation of Air Quality UGEE Joint Research Programme Summary Report 3
2016	Final Report 4: Impacts and Mitigation Measures (part 1 of 3) UGEE Joint Research Programme Final Report 4 (part 1 of 3)
2016	Final Report 4: Impacts and Mitigation Measures (part 2 of 3) UGEE Joint Research Programme Final Report 4 (part 2 of 3)
2016	Final Report 4: Impacts and Mitigation Measures (part 3 of 3) UGEE Joint Research Programme Final Report 4 (part 3 of 3)
2016	Summary Report 4: Impacts and Mitigation Measures UGEE Joint Research Programme Summary Report 4
2016	Final Report 5: Regulatory Framework for Environmental Protection UGEE Joint Research Programme Final Report 5
2016	Summary Report 5: Regulatory Framework for Environmental Protection UGEE Joint Research Programme Summary Report 5
2016	UGEE JRP - EPA Statement October 2016 update on the status of the UGEE JRP
2015	UGEE JRP - Tasks Status Update 22/12/2015 update on the status of the tasks of the UGEE JRP
2015	UGEE JRP - List of organisations carrying out the UGEE JRP tasks Table providing the list of organisations carrying out the UGEE JRP tasks
2015	UGEE JRP - Tasks Update 15/07/2015 update on the status of the tasks of the UGEE JRP
2015	Tasks Update of the UGEE Joint Research Programme - April 2015 Update on the Tasks of the UGEE Joint Research Programme - April 2015
2015	UGEE Joint Research Programme Leaflet Leaflet
2015	UGEE Joint Research Programme Groundtruthing Notice Groundtruthing Notice
2013	Revised Terms of Reference for a Programme of Research on Environmental Impacts of Unconventional Gas Exploration & Extraction Revised Terms of Reference (Appendix 1 of the Invitation to Tender)
2013	What You Said and How We’ve Responded Response document to the EPA Public Consultation
2013	Invitation to Tender - Research on Environmental Impacts of Unconventional Gas Exploration & Extraction Revised Terms of Reference (Appendix 1 of the Invitation to Tender)
2013	Draft Terms of Reference for a Research Programme on the Environmental Impacts of UGEE Document for Public Consultation

View the full list of the UGEE JRP Reports