# 43.....just a few......
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the subject of "fracking". People who are anti-fracking such as myself for good and valid reasons explained in this letter are often criticised as Luddites or Greenies for standing in the way of this elixir for curing Britain's energy shortfall. I am not a Luddite or a Greenie but merely a concerned citizen seeking the TRUTH. Having already witnessed the ruination of one of two aquifers (Jandakot Water Mound) serving the population of Perth, Western Australia - thanks to the wisdom of local and federal government in allowing a general aviation airport to be built slap bang over the said water mound and the consequential pollution by leakage of aviation fuel - I am intrigued to understand how the powers that be in Whitehall are at lengths to allow a series of wells to be drilled through the Stour Aquifer in East Kent. The government are hell-bent on this so called Dash for Gas seemingly at any cost or at any risk. There has been a huge amount of propaganda and misleading information surrounding the subject but I've done my best here to point out FACTS .
Firstly, the government, UKIP, Labour and the Libs, not forgetting the oil and gas industry, will have us believe that "fracking" has been carried out in the U.K. since 1944. Indeed this is true, however, what they don't say or perhaps some don't even understand, there is a world of difference between the type of conventional hydraulic fracturing that was carried out in those days to the modern, risky, technology known as unconventional gas drilling. The fact is that unconventional fracking has only been used once in this country and that was at Preese Hall, Blackpool where drilling had to cease due to earth tremors thought to be caused by drilling activity.
The U.S.A. is the centre of the world's fracking industry so in order to gather the facts it's necessary to study what's been happening over there. It has become increasingly clear that the unconventional gas boom which has occurred in the US.A. has happened too fast, too recklessly and with insufficient concern for the potential cumulative impacts on the most critical resources - clean air, safe drinking water and a stable climate. In fact, as a direct result of a Chesapeake gas well blowout in Pennsylvania that spilled drilling chemicals onto nearby properties and waterways, a former gas company executive called for a moratorium on all fracking operations near waterways in Arkansas's Fayetteville shale region. It should be borne in mind also that Unconventional gas drilling requires massive quantities of water. In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 70 to 140 billion gallons of water are used to fracture 35,000 wells in the U.S. each year. This is approximately the annual water consumption of 40 to 80 cities each with a population of 50,000. Fracture treatments in coalbed methane wells use from 50,000 to 350,000 gallons of water per well, while deeper horizontal shale wells can use anywhere from 2 to 10 million gallons of water to fracture a single well. The extraction of so much water for unconventional gas extraction has raised concerns about the ecological impacts to aquatic resources, as well as de-watering of drinking water aquifers. It has been estimated that the transportation of one million gallons of water (fresh or waste water) requires 200 truck movements. Thus, not only does water used for hydraulic fracturing, especially the unconventional kind, deplete fresh water supplies the transportation of so much water creates localised air quality, safety and road repair issues. Hard to imagine therefore how such drilling activity is even being contemplated to take place above and through the already stressed Stour Aquifer which provides water to 700,000 people across East Kent. But it is! Hard also to imagine how so many daily movements of large and heavy trucks can possibly navigate the narrow and twisting roads and lanes of east Kent without causing substantial damage notwithstanding the disruption to residents living in the neighbourhoods.
Secondly, due to the American experience the following countries or states or cities have either banned or exercised moratoriums on unconventional gas drilling :-
U.S.A. - Dallas, Texas - N.Y. State (Kirkland and Dryden) - Hawaii - New Mexico - Colorado - Ohio - Iowa - Vermont - New Jersey - Pittsburgh - W. Virginia
Canada - Newfoundland - Labrador - British Columbia - Nova Scotia - Quebec
Europe - France - Spain (Cantabria) - Bulgaria - Czech Republic - Switzerland (Fribourg) - Italy (Bomba) - Northern Ireland (under consideration) - Ireland
Australia - Victoria - Dunoon - Sydney (Marrick)
A complete list can be found at the following link :-
http://keeptapwatersafe.org/global-bans-on-fracking/
There are many other places likely to follow suit.
Thirdly, despite our government telling us that they will strenuously ensure that drilling companies will observe rules and regulations and although the oil and gas industry assures us that unconventional fracturing can be carried out safely this is so utterly naïve and misleading when the following Headlined accidents (fraccidents) are known to have occurred and are well documented :-
Methane Making An Appearance In Pa. Water Supplies
4700 Gallons of Acid Spill at Bradford County Drilling Site
Gas line ruptures in Woodhull, shuts down Route 417
Deadliest Danger Isn't at the Rig but on the Road
Explosion rocks natural gas compressor station
Pipeline Spills Put Safeguards Under Scrutiny
A Tainted Water Well, and Concern There May Be More
Flowback from "fracking" Marcellus gas wells in PA has killed vegetation, similar to what happened in West Virginia study
Neighbors of U.S. Gas Well Blowout Fear the Worst
Drilling Down Regulation Lax as Gas Wells' Tainted Water Hits Rivers
3,400 Gallons of Frack Water Spilled in Accident
Update 1 -UGI Utilities says Pennsylvania Blast kills 5
Rise in Fracking Accidents Prompts Anti-Drilling Rallies
Fracking Fluid Leak may Reach 30 Miles
Man Says Gas in Water Well Ignited, Burned Him
Gas Spews from N.W. PA Well Rupture
More than 20 Blowouts Have Occurred at Barnett Shale Wells
Gas Drillers Plead Guilty to Felony Dumping Violations
Sudden Death of Ecosystem Ravages Long Creek 'Everything is Being Killed'161 Aquatic Species have Died Along Dunkard Creek
Hazardous Chemicals Cited in Drilling Spill
Water Problems From Drilling Are More Frequent Than PA Officials Said
And so on and so forth
Let's not forget the disastrous DEEPWATER HORIZON blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico!
So, Politicians and Oil and Gas Industry bosses please don't tell us that accidents won't happen because you know perfectly well they will happen. And please don't tell us that there is no risk to our water resources, our health and our peaceful lives because you know that such risks are inherent in this vile and disruptive technology.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson