0 Conspiracy: US Special Forces exercise said to be training for ‘martial law, military coup’

WHEN the military conducts widespread training exercises, what do you think? Preparedness? Boys’ toys? In the United States it equals civil war.

The US Army’s Special Operations Command never saw this coming.

An upcoming exercise codenamed JADE HELM 15 has sparked suspicion among some conspiracy theorists of impending martial law and a US military plot to wage war on the American people.

THE MISSION

“Jade Helm is a challenging eight-week joint military and Interagency (IA) Unconventional Warfare (UW) exercise conducted throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado,” a statement announcing a large-scale military training drill reads.

Mobilised will be 1200 troops of the Green Berets, Navy Seals and the 82nd Airborne Division. Supporting them will be specialist aircraft and helicopter units from the US Air Force, Navy and Army.

It’s scheduled to run from July 15 to September 15.

It’s all for a cause: Special forces have special requirements.

They’re maintained at a high level of readiness to respond to hot-spots around the world. This involves the need to travel great distances, assess unfamiliar terrain, find targets and choose appropriate means of action.

The raid in which al-Qaeda kingpin Osama bin Laden was assassinated is one such example.

To achieve such a goal requires a great deal of coordination between large numbers of men from different elements of the military.

So “realistic” practice makes perfect.

But the word “realistic” appears to have some concerning connotations amid the incredibly polarised politics of the United States.

At least when it comes to a slide show presentation said to be associated with the impending exercise.

It has “concerned citizens” up in arms.

THE CONSPIRACY

At the centre of similar, past training exercises is usually a threatening insurgent action and an objective which either needs to be destroyed or recovered.

But some of the advanced role-play planning for this exercise appears to have leaked.

An unverified document circulating online includes a map purportedly labelling parts of Texas and Utah as an “insurgent pocket”.

It’s titled: “US Army Special Operations Command — Request to Conduct Realistic Military Training (RMT) JADE HELM 15.”

Jade Helm Martial Law WW3 Prep Document 1

It a document “detailing the US Army’s plan to wage war on the American people,” screams the far-right blog infowars.com.

“Despite the document’s claims, multiple Army training manuals and studies in the past have specifically targeted such states due to concerns over the growing influence of right-leaning ideologies and groups, such as the Tea Party.”

The purported training material also mentions coordinating with local police, increased aircraft in the area at night and soldiers wearing civilian clothes and driving civilian vehicles.

Therefore armed Federal Government suppression of liberty-loving civilians. Right?

That’s left US Special Forces command scratching its collective head.

TRUE BELIEVERS

“That notion was proposed by a few individuals who are unfamiliar with how and why USASOC conducts training exercises,” Special Forces Command spokesman Army Lt. Colonel Mark Lastoria told Stars and Stripes.

The only thing different about JADE HELM 15 was the use of out-of-base “new challenging terrain”, he said, chosen because of its remoteness and similarity to conditions where troops are operational overseas.

Is your state next?

Planned cooperation with local law enforcement was to avoid unfortunate misshape or misunderstandings with the general community.

“This exercise is routine training to maintain a high level of readiness for Army Special Operations Forces,” Major Lastoria reiterates.

It’s also quite a tame conspiracy, considering allegations President Barack Obama recently sought to have the South Carolina city of Charleston nuked.

So who’s telling the truth?

We’ll find out come September 15.

0 9 Gross Chemicals in Everyday Products That Could Be Killing You

You probably know that formaldehyde is a key component of embalming fluid. 
But are you aware that it's also been found in a leading brand of baby shampoo—and not as a random contaminant?

Johnson & Johnson has just announced that its one hundred baby products, including the popular No More Tears shampoo, have been purged of formaldehyde, as well as 1,4-dioxane. (Almost: levels of the latter have been reduced to trace amounts.) 

Under pressure from consumers, who wondered what carcinogens were doing in child care products, J&J vowed two years ago to get rid of the chemicals. Famous for its use in the preservation of dead bodies, formaldehyde is released by preservatives found in many cosmetics; 1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of the process that makes cleansing agents in personal care products less abrasive.

J&J maintains that the chemicals are safe, according to the New York Times, even as it has spent tens of millions of dollars to eliminate them. (By 2015, the company pledges, all of its consumer products will be free of so-called chemicals of concern.) Neither formaldehyde nor 1,4-dioxane were listed on product labels, since they weren't technically ingredients; synthetic compounds used for fragrance, which are also set to be phased out, have gone undisclosed as well.

While it's especially shocking to learn of the presence in baby shampoo of a compound known to cause cancer in human beings, and associated with pickling corpses, this is just the tip of the toxic iceberg in terms of the noxious chemicals to which we are exposed every day (or nearly so). Household products harbor hundreds of synthetic compounds, the vast majority of which have never been adequately tested to determine their effects on human health (to say nothing of how they act in combination). Formaldehyde, for one, is also found in carpeting, soaps and detergents, cabinetry, and glues. Here are nine other chemicals of concern that are not just all around you, but inside of you as well.



Phthalates

These plasticizers are all over the place. One billion tons are produced each year, and they go into (among other things) children's toys, pharmaceutical tablets, shower curtains, adhesives, food packaging and fragrances used in all manner of cleaning products, personal and otherwise. What's troubling: phthalates are easily released into the environment, and they seem to act like hormones in the human body. Possible consequences include (in males) genital deformities, sterility and diabetes, and (in females) premature births, early puberty and breast cancer. Links have also been found with allergies and asthma.

Triclosan

An antimicrobial agent, triclosan was originally intended for use in hospitals, but soon found its way into a wide variety of consumer products: toothpaste, cutting boards, shoes, trash bags and antibacterial soaps. As a result, triclosan is now in all sorts of places it shouldn't be: in the bile of wild fish exposed to wastewater, in human breast milk and in nearly 75% of urine samples tested in 2008.

Triclosan penetrates the skin and enters in the bloodstream, where its effects on people are unknown. But it's been shown to mess with the endocrine systems of several different animals, and to interfere with human muscle cell function in vitro. The benefits of using it in soap have been questioned; the FDA says there's no evidence of triclosan's upside, apart from an anti-gingivitis effect demonstrated by Colgate Total toothpaste. And some studies have raised the possibility that widespread use of triclosan could contribute to microbial resistance to biocides.

Bisphenol A

Known as BPA for short, bisphenol A is used to make hard plastics, including the materials for water bottles, sports equipment, DVDs, medical and dental devices and eyeglass lenses. It's also used in the lining of metal food and beverage cans, as well as in the thermal paper on

which receipts are printed. In other words, it's everywhere, including in our bodies: it leaches into substances we consume and is absorbed through our skin. And its effects on animals, at levels below the EPA's limit for human exposure, are pretty awful: adverse changes to reproductive organs and tissue, including predispositions to cancer, as well as neural and behavioral impacts on non-human primates. A recent FDA ban on the use of BPA in baby bottles was denounced by the Environmental Working Group as "purely cosmetic," since the chemical is still present in food packaging.

Tetrachloroethylene

Also known as Perc, or just dry-cleaning fluid, tetrachloroethylene is as almost as tough on the nervous system as it is on stains. It's classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and studies have also shown that it significantly increases the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. One researcher found that the children of dry cleaners are 3.5 times more likely than other kids to develop schizophrenia.

Perc is a common contaminant of soil and groundwater, so you can't avoid it entirely. But organic dry cleaners don't use it, and you can steer clear of residential buildings that house Perc machines.

Glyphosate

Brought to market in the 1970s by Monsanto, which gave it the ruggedly suggestive name Roundup, glyphosate is an herbicide that kills almost anything growing. Instantly popular with farmers, it really took off with the introduction of genetically modified "Roundup Ready" seeds, which grow into glyphosate-resistant crops that enable less discriminant spraying. Roundup is also sold to ordinary homeowners, for use against yard weeds.

Unsurprisingly, a chemical that's toxic to plantlife doesn't seem to be good for animals: birth defects have been observed in rats and frogs exposed to glyphosate. Human harm has not been conclusively demonstrated, but some argue that Roundup's presence in the food supply and environment is contributing to the prevalence of several diseases. The development of herbicide-resistant superweeds is also a concern.

Parabens

The purpose of parabens is preservative, to kill bacteria and fungi, and they're present in a host of personal care products: shampoos, moisturizers, shaving gels, lubricants, cosmetics, deodorants and toothpaste. They've even added to food. The problem is that parabens have been found in breast cancer tumors, and are known to mimic estrogen, the hormone that drives that disease. Reproductive toxicity is also suspected. In light of these concerns, some products have gone paraben-free, and are labeled as such.

PFCs

Perfluorinated compounds, which can make materials resistant to stains, oil, and water, are found in clothing, cookware, fast food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, and carpets. (Teflon and Scotchguard, for instance, are derived from PFCs.) Since they don't degrade organically, they persist in the environment and accumulate in living tissue. Health concerns include toxic fumes from heated nonstick pans causing "Teflon flu" (which can kill pet birds!); stainless steel and cast iron could be safer alternatives.

PBDEs

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers replaced the first generation flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls, which were banned in the U.S. for their toxicity in 1977. Predictably, PBDEs have also come under scrutiny for adverse health and environmental impacts, as well as questionable effectiveness. Ubiquitous in the home, PBDEs are found in furniture, TVs, computer, and electrical equipment. An alarming 2010 study suggested that children with higher prenatal exposure to PBDEs score lower on tests of mental and physical development between the ages of one and six.

Toluene

A solvent used to make paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, lacquers, adhesives and rubber, toluene is toxic to the nervous system, though it's less bad than the highly carcinogenic benzene, which it largely replaced. Some people huff it to get high, which is just about the stupidest thing imaginable, since inhalation can cause (in addition to euphoria and dissociation) fatigue, confusion, temporary hearing or color vision loss, severe lung damage and even death.

--Written by Eamon Murphy for MainStreet

ORIGINAL SOURCE:

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/gross-chemicals-everyday-products-could-be-killing-us/page/2

0 More than 33 inches of snow reported in parts of Worcester,County, Mass.; 26 inches reported in Boston

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTER REPORTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1107 PM EST TUE JAN 27 2015

THE FOLLOWING ARE UNOFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS TAKEN DURING THE PAST 22
HOURS FOR THE STORM THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTING OUR REGION. APPRECIATION
IS EXTENDED TO SKYWARN SPOTTERS...COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS...MEDIA AND
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS FOR THESE REPORTS. THIS SUMMARY IS ALSO AVAILABLE
ON OUR HOME PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/BOSTON


********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL********************

LOCATION          STORM TOTAL     TIME/DATE   COMMENTS
                     SNOWFALL           OF
                     /INCHES/   MEASUREMENT

CONNECTICUT

...HARTFORD COUNTY...
   MARLBOROUGH           22.0   448 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   WETHERSFIELD          12.5   650 PM  1/27  DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
   EAST GRANBY            8.0   653 PM  1/27  DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
   1 WNW WINDSOR LOCKS    7.5   700 PM  1/27  AIRPORT
   NORTH GRANBY           4.5   336 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER

...TOLLAND COUNTY...
   STAFFORDVILLE         23.0   901 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   TOLLAND               20.0   807 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   STAFFORD SPRINGS      16.5   332 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   SOMERS                15.2   421 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   COVENTRY              14.5   719 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER

...WINDHAM COUNTY...
   THOMPSON              33.5   647 PM  1/27  MEDIA
   PUTNAM                30.0   650 PM  1/27  DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
   EAST KILLINGLY        24.2   418 PM  1/27  NONE

MASSACHUSETTS

...BARNSTABLE COUNTY...
   WEST HARWICH          28.5   955 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   HYANNIS               27.0   748 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   EAST FALMOUTH         24.8  1000 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   HARWICH               23.0   749 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   CENTERVILLE           21.0   700 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   SOUTH DENNIS          18.2   728 PM  1/27  EMERGENCY MANAGER
   ORLEANS               17.6   547 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   BREWSTER              14.0   308 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO

...BRISTOL COUNTY...
   EAST FREETOWN         26.0   458 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   FALL RIVER            23.1   805 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   ACUSHNET              22.2   605 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   NEW BEDFORD           21.0   508 PM  1/27  NONE
   MANSFIELD             19.8   548 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   TAUNTON               19.3   648 PM  1/27  NWS OFFICE
   FAIRHAVEN             19.0   629 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   NORTH ATTLEBORO       18.9   306 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   NORTH DIGHTON         18.4   558 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   NORTH ACUSHNET        16.0   806 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO

...ESSEX COUNTY...
   METHUEN               31.5   900 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   IPSWICH               28.0   600 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   SWAMPSCOTT            27.1   707 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   PEABODY               27.0   819 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   GEORGETOWN            26.5   835 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   NAHANT                25.0   923 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   TOPSFIELD             24.5   922 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   SALEM                 24.0   345 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   ROCKPORT              23.5   855 PM  1/27  MEDIA
   GLOUCESTER            23.0   453 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   MARBLEHEAD            22.0   546 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   ANDOVER               22.0   626 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO

...FRANKLIN COUNTY...
   HEATH                  5.0   412 PM  1/27  NONE

...HAMPDEN COUNTY...
   WALES                 16.0   810 PM  1/27  BROADCAST MEDIA
   LUDLOW                14.0   729 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER

...MIDDLESEX COUNTY...
   HUDSON                36.0   400 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   ACTON                 34.0  1014 PM  1/27  NONE
   LITTLETON             34.0   600 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   CHELMSFORD            33.8   925 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   FRAMINGHAM            33.5   540 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   WESTFORD              33.0  1004 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   DRACUT                33.0   952 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   TYNGSBORO             32.5   540 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   NORTH CHELMSFORD      32.5   813 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   DUNSTABLE             32.0   330 PM  1/27  NONE
   LOWELL                31.0   410 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   NORTH READING         29.0   825 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   WAKEFIELD             29.0   758 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   WINCHESTER            29.0   804 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   GROTON                29.0   449 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   PEPPERELL             26.5   513 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   TEWKSBURY             25.6   603 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   BEDFORD               25.0  1021 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   NATICK                23.0   459 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   MELROSE               23.0   841 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   SOMERVILLE            21.7   315 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   TOWNSEND              21.6   528 PM  1/27  NONE
   HOLLISTON             21.5   618 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   WAYLAND               20.0   428 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO

...NANTUCKET COUNTY...
   NANTUCKET             12.0   411 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO

...NORFOLK COUNTY...
   MILTON                29.7   727 PM  1/27  COOP OBSERVER
   SHARON                29.0   546 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   BRAINTREE             26.0   407 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   WALPOLE               24.6   619 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   QUINCY                24.5   840 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   SOUTH WEYMOUTH        24.0   907 PM  1/27  MEDIA
   WEYMOUTH              23.0   404 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   RANDOLPH              22.3   713 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   FOXBORO               22.0   624 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   NORWOOD               22.0   623 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   NEEDHAM HEIGHTS       21.0   312 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   MEDFIELD              19.0   430 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   STOUGHTON             17.0   429 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   MILLIS                16.5   620 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO

...PLYMOUTH COUNTY...
   KINGSTON              28.0   526 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   HANOVER               24.0   736 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   HULL                  23.5   817 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   PEMBROKE              23.0   432 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   ROCKLAND              22.0   913 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   CARVER                21.3   900 PM  1/27  NWS EMPLOYEE
   HANSON                20.0   605 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO

...PROVIDENCE COUNTY...
   RANDOLPH              23.0  1003 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER

...SUFFOLK COUNTY...
   SOUTH BOSTON          29.0   900 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   1 N EAST BOSTON       23.3   700 PM  1/27  AIRPORT
   WINTHROP              23.3   700 PM  1/27  NONE
   BOSTON CITY           17.6   534 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO

...WORCESTER COUNTY...
   AUBURN                36.0   947 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   LUNENBURG             36.0   717 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   CLINTON               34.1   419 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   WORCESTER             33.5   809 PM  1/27  CWO
   WEST BOYLSTON         33.5   730 PM  1/27  COCORAHS
   3 WNW WORCESTER       33.5   825 PM  1/27  AIRPORT...RECORD
   HOLDEN                32.0   546 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   SHREWSBURY            30.9   740 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   MILFORD               30.7   833 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   WHITINSVILLE          30.0   503 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   FITCHBURG             30.0   305 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   STERLING              29.3   352 PM  1/27  NONE
   SPENCER               29.0   735 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   NORTH GRAFTON         29.0   805 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   LEOMINSTER            29.0   437 PM  1/27  NONE
   BOYLSTON              28.0   534 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   BOLTON                26.0   318 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   NORTH WORCESTER       24.0   914 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   DOUGLAS               24.0   312 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   SOUTHBRIDGE           20.0   700 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   WESTMINSTER           15.0   617 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   ASHBURNHAM            10.0   426 PM  1/27  CO-OP OBSERVER

RHODE ISLAND

...KENT COUNTY...
   WEST WARWICK          20.5   954 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   2 NNW WARWICK         18.5   700 PM  1/27  AIRPORT
   GREENE                18.0   351 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER

...NEWPORT COUNTY...
   TIVERTON              19.0   807 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO

...PROVIDENCE COUNTY...
   BURRILLVILLE          26.5   357 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   WEST GLOCESTER        24.4   321 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   NORTH FOSTER          20.7   546 PM  1/27  CO-OP OBSERVER
   SMITHFIELD            18.0   913 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   CRANSTON              17.0   338 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   PROVIDENCE            17.0   913 PM  1/27  HAM RADIO
   1 W PROVIDENCE        15.5   509 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   PAWTUCKET             15.5   350 PM  1/27  GENERAL PUBLIC
   EAST PROVIDENCE       14.5   837 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER

...WASHINGTON COUNTY...
   WESTERLY              21.0   624 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   HOPE VALLEY           18.5   527 PM  1/27  TRAINED SPOTTER
   NORTH KINGSTOWN       15.0   430 PM  1/27  NONE

Source:

http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=BOX&product=PNS&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=offh

0 Was Winchester's 2.9 earthquake A result of Recent Fracking In The Area?

An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.9 has been recorded in Hampshire, the British Geological Survey has confirmed.

Postings on social media reported buildings in the Winchester area shaking following a tremor shortly after 18:30 GMT.

A police spokeswoman said no injuries or serious damage had been reported.

Matthew Emery, from South Wonston, near Winchester described the experience as "almost as if Concorde had flown over".

The British Geological Survey (Bgs) reported a tremor at a depth of 3km (1.9miles) at Headbourne Worthy, just north east of Winchester.

BGS Seismologist David Galloway said the UK experienced about 10 quakes of such a size each year which were "usually quite widely felt around the area".

The epicentre of the quake was at Headbourne Worthy, just north of Winchester

"We live on a dynamic planet. We're actually sitting in the middle of one of the plates on the earth's crust, but because of the stresses caused by all the movement, we still get little earthquakes in the UK."

The BGS said it had received a report from a residents who said "the whole bed was visibly shaking" as well as one who said the earthquake sounded "like a bus" crashing "into the neighbours house at speed".

Hampshire Constabulary said it had initially received lots of calls from concerned residents in the Kingsworthy area following reports of something which "felt like an explosion which shook their houses".

Residents also took to social media to describe what happened.

Rowland Rees tweeted: "Quake felt in Crawley, Winchester. Whole house shook for a few seconds!"

And Jen Gupta said in a tweet: "Our house in Winchester just shook enough to rattle glasses in the cupboard, accompanied by a boom sound."

Rachel Cristofoli, in Kings Worthy, said: "Everyone felt it and came outside to see what was going on. It lasted about 5 seconds, but the houses all shook from top to bottom."

Brook Ethridge, barmaid at the South Wonston Social Club, said: "About half past six, I was sitting reading my book and all the glasses started shaking. It sounded like someone had driven into the back of the club.

"Everyone ran outside, couldn't see anything. It doesn't sound like the sort of thing that happens in a quiet little place - you just don't expect it."

IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT ...

Licences for fracking issued for countryside near Winchester

Licences for fracking issued for countryside near Winchester

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First published Friday 24 May 2013 in Newsby Rachel Masker

DRILLING licences have already been issued for possible fracking underneath huge parts of Hampshire.

Gas companies have been awarded no fewer than eight licences in the south of the county.

The new technology – formally known as hydraulic fracturing – is controversial because it involves blasting underground rock deposits with water, to release trapped pockets of gas.

The alarm has been raised over groundwater contamination and toxic air around sites. In Lancashire, fracking was blamed for causing small earthquakes.

Greenpeace, the environmental group, has mapped the areas covered by licences, using information from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

In the south of Hampshire, they are located: * North of Southampton stretching east from North Baddesley to the A3051 at Fairthorne.

* North of Winchester, from Kings Worthy west almost to Stockbridge.

* Further north, reaching from Chilbolton west to Amport.

* East of Winchester, underneath Hampage Wood.

* Stretching west from Hinton, in the New Forest.

* From east of Fareham, stretching further east.

* East from the Hambledon area (two licences).

It is unlikely that all the sites would be fracked – even if drilling went ahead – because many have the potential to generate conventional gas instead.

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The revelations came as Hampshire councillors were denied a chance to vote on a proposal to make the county a fracking-free zone.

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Adam Carew had called for the ruling Tories to forbid fracking on council land and oppose it in all parts of the county. He said: “We know you are opposed to wind farms. I think the people of Hampshire have a right to know where you stand on fracking as well.”

But the new council leader Roy Perry said a ban could prejudice future planning applications to drill from oil companies. The county council, as minerals and waste authority, decides planning applications for oil and gas though not wind farms which are decided by district councils.

If permission was refused, oil companies could appeal to the High Court to overturn the decision on the grounds their application had been pre-judged.

The British Geological Survey has mapped potential shale gas reserves around the country and suggested massive gas reserves worth millions of pounds could be hidden beneath Hampshire.

Thousands of jobs could be created if drilling companies believe it is worth trying to extricate the supplies, which have lain buried in tiny holes in rocks for millions of years.

Ray Cobbett, co-ordinator of Hampshire Friends of the Earth, said his organisation was opposed to fracking because of the environmental damage and pollution caused by fracturing rocks with chemicals and high pressure water.

SOURCES:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-31009707

http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/10441718.Licences_for_fracking_issued_for_countryside_near_Winchester/

http://frack-off.org.uk/extreme-energy-fullscreen/

0 Anonymous Takes Down 9 Known ISIS Websites, Confirms Leaked Government Documents Were Real

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