ROMANIA, 6TH OF APRIL 2014 – NATIONWIDE PROTESTS AGAINST “FRACKING”

On 6^th of April 2014, in over 60 towns and villages from Romania and in many cities abroad, meetings and marches against the exploitation of shale gas through hydraulic fracturing will take place.  We will all take to the streets, villagers and city people, citizens from different ethnic groups and of different convictions, from within the country and abroad, together, to protect our land, our water and air.

We ask our Parliament and our Government:

1. To legally ban hydraulic fracturing used in the exploration and exploitation of the unconventional hydrocarbons, including shale gas;
2. To cancel the Government’s Decisions which illegally approved the agreements for the exploration-exploitation-development of shale gas resources;
3. To respect the will of the local communities and to ensure more transparency in  the process of decision making;

In Romania, there is no adequate legal framework for the exploitation of unconventional resources such as shale gas. However, around 70% of the country has been leased for the exploration-exploitation-development of gas and oil resources. Gas and oil companies can easily take advantage of the lack of regulation to implement hydraulic fracturing with no proper impact assessment or monitoring. This puts our lives at risk with a total disregard of the will of the people. Hundreds of thousands have protested against hydraulic fracturing for two years now, but our political representatives have responded only with human rights violations and the limitation of our freedoms.

The protests against hydraulic fracturing have entered a new phase. In the village of Pungesti, within a regime of harassment and authority enforced by the Gendarmerie forces, Chevron is preparing the first drilling rig. At the same time, other areas have also been leased for the exploitation of shale gas. Hydraulic fracturing is likely, in its most aggressive form, to be secretly implemented in conventional oil and gas exploitations, to increase productivity, but also for the explorations in the Black Sea, without any impact assessment regarding the effects of these actions on human health and the environment.

The frenzy of resource extraction condemns Romania to irreversible pollution, and authorities, instead of fulfilling their duties, are rather accomplices to that. The interests of companies like Chevron, Gazprom and OMV Petrom are in the first line, and the citizens are left on their own to defend and fight for their rights.

The technology of fracturing has an imminent impact and has been banned in many towns and counties from 18 states of the USA and in European countries like France and Bulgaria.

Almost 100 NGO-s and informal groups participate in organizing The National Day of Fight Against Hydraulic Fracturing, among which 70 NGO-s gathered in the Environment Coalition, Pungesti Resistance Movement, Romania Without Them Association, United We Save Community and also mayors and priests from the areas affected by the activities of exploration and exploitation of shale gas.

Over 10 actions in court have been initiated, some of them ongoing, with the help of pro-bono lawyers and many NGO-s. Also, tens of scientific reports, that prove the impact of hydraulic fracturing, have been collected and translated by volunteers (http://stopfracturare.ro/dovezi-stiintifice – RO). The mobilization of so many citizens contrasts deeply with the current electoral political circus, which has become the only notable activity of the political class. We, the citizens of Romania, reclaim our right to decide for ourselves, to defend our health, our environment and our democratic rights. Please share our message and the news of our mobilization.

Contact: George Epurescu +40742689126, Maria Olteanu +40723129080

Cerem Parlamentului si Guvernului:
1. Interzicerea prin lege a fracturarii hidraulice in exploararea si exploatarea hidrocarburilor neconventionale, inclusiv a gazelor de sist.
2. Anularea hotararilor de Guvern prin care s-au aprobat in mod illegal acordurile de explorare-exploatare-dezvoltare pentru gazele de sist
3. Respectarea vointei comunitatilor locale si transparentizarea procesului decizionalCerem Parlamentului si Guvernului:
1. Interzicerea prin lege a fracturarii hidraulice in exploararea si exploatarea hidrocarburilor neconventionale, inclusiv a gazelor de sist.
2. Anularea hotararilor de Guvern prin care s-au aprobat in mod illegal acordurile de explorare-exploatare-dezvoltare pentru gazele de sist
3. Respectarea vointei comunitatilor locale si transparentizarea procesului decizionalCerem Parlamentului si Guvernului:
1. Interzicerea prin lege a fracturarii hidraulice in exploararea si exploatarea hidrocarburilor neconventionale, inclusiv a gazelor de sist.
2. Anularea hotararilor de Guvern prin care s-au aprobat in mod illegal acordurile de explorare-exploatare-dezvoltare pentru gazele de sist
3. Respectarea vointei comunitatilor locale si transparentizarea procesului decizionalwww.StopFracturare.ro | www.farafracturare.ro | www.gazedesist.ro