There’s been a lot of talk about fracking (or more accurately hydraulic fracture injections) lately, but with civil, economic and political unrest occurring both at home and overseas, it’s been pushed away from the headlines. This does not mean that the issue has gone away – far from it. The whole world is desperately addicted to fossil fuels and will do almost anything to get them, including engaging in more and more extreme methods of extraction. Fracking is the controversial process of forcing highly pressurised chemical-laden fluid deep into wellbore in order to extract the shale gas beneath it.

What a lot of people may not realise is that we are almost at the end of a six week consultation (concluding tomorrow) inviting comment on the recommendations contained in a report entitled: ‘Induced Seismicity Mitigation Report’. This report came about as a result of the earthquakes felt in the Blackpool area last year, the suspected cause being the fracking conducted by Caudrilla Resources Ltd. at the Preese Hall Well. Having read the report I am left extremely concerned by the seemingly mixed messages it conveys.

The report states that the earthquakes were indeed caused by the fracking that took place at the Preese Hall Well, and it goes on to say that if a similar treatment is carried out then it is not possible to state categorically that no further earthquakes will be experienced in future. The report states that our knowledge of surveying shale gas basins for stress faults is not sufficient to identify them all and ascertain the potential impact of fracking on these faults. The report also states that the numerical simulations used by Caudrilla should be treated with caution as they are far too simplistic. They go on to criticise the magnitude of the earthquakes proposed by Caudrilla’s consultants as a conservative estimate. So with all this in mind, one would have thought this would be enough to bring about the end of this dangerous procedure in the UK until, at the very least, we can have a big improvement in the technology and a better insight into the environmental impact fracking might cause. Sadly, this is not the case.

The report states that:

1)   there should a smaller pre-injection and monitoring before the main injection

2)   fractures should continue to be monitored using microseismic monitoring

3)   more monitoring on all fracking in the area in the future

4)   operations halted and remedial action taken if an earthquake is reported

The report is clearly concerned with the potential damage caused as a result of earthquakes but they are but one of the myriad dangers caused by fracking, some of which are as follows:

1)   Water contamination – fracking uses a large slurry of toxic water and can leach chemicals such as arsenic as well as radioactive elements out of the rock resulting in the water used becoming even more toxic. Most of this is never recovered but what do you do with the little that is?

2)   Irrigation water – the toxic fluid that is unrecovered could potentially reach our own water supply and have far-reaching impacts from farming to drinking.

3)   Methane – there are documented cases in the US of how fracking has caused methane to enter the water table and people have literally been able to set fire to their taps! Public health would be hugely impacted if this were to happen here.

4)   Unsustainability – to get at the gas requires a lot of energy (digging the wells, not to mention the fracking itself and the extraction methods). The gas that is commonly sought is methane, an even stronger greenhouse gas than carbon monoxide (produced by burning it). It will also inevitably leak straight out in to the atmosphere.

Now as far as I’m aware there are no plans for any sites or licenses where I live in Rickmansworth/Three Rivers, but I know that licenses are being sought to explore near where I work part-time in the beautiful yet fragile eco-system of the Mendip Hills in Somerset; the concern being that although some miles away, fracking could upset the ancient underground water ways and gas levels that provides Bath with the reason it got its name.

So I’ve written this piece to make readers of my blog aware of this situation but also ask them to do as I did and get involved. Do your own research and find out for yourselves about the dangers associated with fracking. A quick search on the internet will reveal a number of groups who are knowledgeable about the issue. You may not wish to join these groups directly, but they will provide you with rich sources of information, as well as ideas on what you can do next.

Finally, if like me you feel strongly that at present, fracking is far too dangerous a process for us to engage in then I hope you participate in the consultation and submit your views to: [email protected]. As I mentioned – the consultation concludes tomorrow so please act swiftly. I also implore you to write to your MP asking them to take up the issue with the new (Liberal Democrat) Secretary of State for Climate Change, Ed Davey who I know is looking very closely in to this issue. With any luck we can put an end to this ecologically and environmentally dangerous practice until such time as we can understand the repercussions a great deal better than we do at present.