Fracking VS Farming

THE Vryheid community took a stand against the imposed threat of fracking on our doorstep last Wednesday, advising Rhino Oil and Gas representatives, in no uncertain terms, to ‘get the frack out of town.’

A meeting was held at Cecil Emmett Hall, where Rhino Oil and Gas invited the public to voice their concerns over the independent oil and gas exploration and development company’s application to explore a large part of Northern KZN, including Vryheid, for oil and gas.

While Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Rhino Oil and Gas in South Africa, Phillip Steyn, expressed that hydraulic fracturing, also known as ‘fracking,’ was not necessarily a proposed option, community members who attended the meeting were unconvinced and stood firm in their resistance against the potential threat on the local environment and already fragile water supply.

Independent Environmental Impact Assessment Consultant, Matthew Henning, explained the process which Rhino Oil and Gas would be required to follow in order to obtain rights for exploration, clarifying that the company has made an application in this regard. He further elaborated that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a systematic process of identifying, assessing and reporting the environmental impact of the exploration, which would require public consultation at each step.

“If approval were to be granted,” declared Henning, “they would only be allowed to do what they applied for. Any further action would require a new application.”

Joined by the anti-fracking group, Concerned Young People of South Africa, who made their objections quite vocal at the meeting, as they have done at many prior meetings concerning Rhino Oil and Gas, the community members present, including many local farmers, remained steadfast in their disapproval.

“Do you play Russian Roulette?” queried Utrecht farmer, Gunther Muhl, in the question and answer session after the meeting. “I can put a million dollars down here and tell you, ‘There’s a revolver. You’ve got three shots. There’s one bullet.’ Will you take that risk? Because that is what you, sir, are expecting from me and my fellow farmers – to play Russian Roulette with our lives and our future… It’s not all about dollars. It’s about life.”

Muhl also queried the absence of political leaders at the meeting and was informed that the local municipality had been invited.

In defense of Rhino Oil and Gas, Steyn stated, “We are proposing to create a new industry in South Africa. We are not here to search and destroy.”

Another Article you might want to read: What’s the big Fracking idea?

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