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Fracking protesters to camp at exploration site

The Local Denmark
The Local Denmark - [email protected]
Fracking protesters to camp at exploration site
After taking their protest to the streets, fracking opponents now plan to target the exploration site. Photo: Skifergas Nej Tak

Denmark's first shale gas exploration site may also be home to a village of local and international protesters.

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Activists in northern Jutland plan to keep up their protest against Frederikshavn’s decision to allow the French gas company Total to drill for shale gas in the area.
 
An activist with Skifergas Nej Tak (Shale Gas, No Thanks) told Politiken that his group plans to set up camp near the drilling location, where they will be joined by other activists from Denmark and beyond.
 
Their goal is to delay, or better yet cancel, the drilling.
 
“So far we have been able to hinder the process for over a year,” Jan Rosenkrantz told Politken. “If it wasn’t for our resistance, the drilling would have already started.”
 
Rosenkrantz expects the first tent to be installed by the end of July and said that he hopes as many as 100 people will take up residence in the camp. He said the group would camp on adjoining property and would refrain from entering Total’s work space. 
 
City officials in Frederikshavn voted 27-4 last month to allow Total to drill in search of shale gas near Dybvad.  If shale gas is found, Total will then explore the possibility of extracting the shale gas through fracking, the pumping of pressurised, chemical-laden water into underground rock layers. 
 
Total’s project will mark Denmark’s first ever foray into shale gas exploration. 
 
Local protesters demonstrated against the council’s decision and organizations including the Danish Society of Nature Conservation (Danmarks Naturfredningsforening - DN) were very critical of Frederikshavn’s decision. 
 
The French company Total is the fifth largest international energy company. Its home country has had a ban against fracking in place since 2011. Germany just last week proposed a seven-year ban on fracking. 
 

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