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dart_energy

Following a recent post to the Sutton website on the 21st February 2014 entitled “The Gathering“, we have received a response from Dart Energy … or probably more accurately, their PR company. The message was sent to the Clerk of the Parish Council by email on the 21st February 2014.

We received the original copy on the 19th February 2014 from an individual who issued a press release to Trax FM, Radio Nottingham and the Sutton Spotlight email addresses. The article also been published on the Retford Times and Retford Life Twitter feeds, but there may be more.

The Sutton site aims to provide information which may be of interest to the residents of the village; it does not take sides. The article was published because of interest already displayed in the village at the Parish Council meeting of the 12th February 2014 and the subsequent reporting of this in the Retford Times of the following week.

In case anyone is wondering why or how Dart Energy is aware of what is being published on the Sutton site:

  • a Dart Energy email address was registered as a subscriber to our splendid automated email updates in December last year
  • at the same time a different Dart Energy email address was registered as a member of the Sutton Forums
  • and on the 23rd February 2014 Dart Energy became a follower of the @SuttonCumLound Twitter feed

Unfortunately, we only received Dart’s response today (23rd February 2014), which may have negated some of what they had to say in terms of The Gathering on the 22nd February 2014. But, in the interest of transparency and balance, the full transcript of their message follows below. This has not been altered or edited in any way, other than removing blank lines. The link at the end of the message to the attached document referred to has been added.

The message and attachment has been forwarded to the sender of the original press release and the copy list on that email.

Message from Dart Energy – 21 February 2014

Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 16:08:19 +0000
Subject: Dart Energy
From: peter.reilly@vigocomms.com
To: clerk@suttoncumlound.net

Dear Mr Johnson,

I got your contact details from the Sutton Cum Lound website. I hope you are the correct person to approach, if not please accept my apologies.
I am writing on behalf of Dart Energy.
A third party article entitled: The Gathering – 22 February 2014 has been placed on the Sutton Cum Lound website
It contains a paragraph (copied below) which is incorrect and is in fact quite misleading. The top graphic is also incorrect as it is referring to a shale well rather than a coal bed methane well.
“DART Energy are proposing to imminently de-water the coal seam at a site at Daneshill Energy Forest, Sutton cum Lound, near Retford, NOTTS, DN22 8RB. This involves removing water and de-pressurising which releases methane, not only where DART intends, but in an uncontrolled manner. Methane may escape through natural fissures, cracks and faults in the ground into the surrounding countryside thus putting at risk human, farm and wildlife. The procedure also involves contaminated water rising to the surface. The potential site will become industrialised and will open the door to future fracking.”
Dart Energy will shortly be drilling a coal bed methane exploration well. However all that will happen with this well is that a sample of the coals will be taken for laboratory analysis and the well will then be cemented up and the ground restored to its previous use.
I have attached for your use/information a one page explanation of what will be happening.
I am happy for you to pass this email on to the person who submitted the article.
Best regards


Peter Reilly

Vigo Communications Limited
One Berkeley Street
London
W1J 8DJ
Direct:  +44 (0)20 7016 9571
Mobile: +44 (0)7881 920542
@vigocomms