Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Fracking in the United Kingdom" in English language version.
One of Dow's leading microbicides, glutaraldehyde, is a favorite among those formulating low-toxic fracking fluids. Although it is classified as acutely toxic and requires safe-handling procedures similar to bleach, glutaraldehyde has a fan in Apache's Durham because "it has very little chronic toxicity and fares very well in bioaccumulation and biodegradation testing.
One of Dow's leading microbicides, glutaraldehyde, is a favorite among those formulating low-toxic fracking fluids. Although it is classified as acutely toxic and requires safe-handling procedures similar to bleach, glutaraldehyde has a fan in Apache's Durham because "it has very little chronic toxicity and fares very well in bioaccumulation and biodegradation testing.
In June 2013 United Kingdom Onshore Oil and Gas launched a "Shale Community Engagement Charter", which outlines the steps the industry will take to address concerns around safety, noise, dust, truck movements and other environmental issues
We told Friends of the Earth that based on the evidence we'd seen, claims it made in its anti-fracking leaflet or claims with the same meaning cannot be repeated, and asked for an assurance that they wouldn't be. Friends of the Earth gave us an assurance to that effect. Unless the evidence changes, that means it mustn't repeat in ads claims about the effects of fracking on the health of local populations, drinking water or property prices. Friends of the Earth has said we "dropped the case". That's not an accurate reflection of what's happened. We thoroughly investigated the complaints we received and closed the case on receipt of the above assurance. Because of that, we decided against publishing a formal ruling, but plainly that's not the same thing as "dropping the case". Crucially, the claims under the microscope mustn't reappear in ads, unless the evidence changes.
Attention is focused on little-known Cuadrilla Resources and its well in Lancashire, where it plans a test drill soon.
The Environment Agency (EA) said it would not grant a radioactive substances permit until it was sure the water will be disposed of safely.
Lord Smith said: "He said the new regulator would also involve the local community in the monitoring process and assess the integrity of wells to make sure any problems that could lead to leaks are discovered and remedied."
Future applications from developers wanting to drill for oil and gas in Wales will not be supported, ministers have confirmed. The Welsh Government has set out an updated policy on petroleum extraction, which includes fracking. It comes ahead of the devolution of powers of consent for licensing new developments to Cardiff Bay in October. The Welsh Government has opposed fracking for several years, with a "moratorium" in place since 2015
We believe that the current public concern about 'fracking' relates to extensive, high pressure, hydraulic fracturing using high-volumes of liquid in very low permeability rock to extract gas from shale, and methane from coal-beds. High volume hydraulic fracturing of this type has not been carried out at Wytch Farm. In the meantime, we look forward to maintaining the highest operating standards and making a positive economic and social contribution to the area.
From 1995 to 2014, Preese Hall has seen a higher trajectory of house price growth when compared with Lancashire and the North West. Although Preese Hall saw a larger decline in house prices between the application being submitted and implementation than Lancashire and the North West, the area has seen a price growth of 7.5% between onshore gas operations commencing in 2011 and 2014. This compares with the North West seeing a prices increase by 0.2% whereas Lancashire saw a price decline of 4.2%. Taken together, there is no clear evidence based on this data to suggest that onshore gas operations have had a material impact on local house prices. 34% of households within three miles [5 km] of the subject site fall into the category of Affluent Achievers. A further indication of the prosperity in the area is that 71% of households are owner/occupied
The fracturing fluid that Cuadrilla has used at the Preese Hall exploration well site, and plans to use at future exploration well sites, is composed almost entirely of fresh water and sand. Cuadrilla also has approval to use the following additives: Polyacrylamide (friction reducer) Sodium salt (for tracing fracturing fluid) Hydrochloric acid (diluted with water) Glutaraldehyde biocide (used to cleanse water and remove bacteria) So far, as additives to fracturing fluid, Cuadrilla has only used polyacrylamide friction reducer along with a minuscule amount of salt, which acts as a tracer. Cuadrilla have not needed to use biocide as the water supplied by United Utilities to their Lancashire exploration well sites has already been treated to remove bacteria, nor have they used diluted hydrochloric acid in fracturing fluid. Additives proposed, in the quantities proposed, have resulted in the fracturing fluid being classified as non-hazardous by the Environment Agency.
This EASAC analysis provides no basis for a ban on shale gas exploration or extraction using hydraulic fracturing on scientific and technical grounds, although EASAC supports calls for effective regulations in the health, safety and environment fields highlighted by other science and engineering academies and in this statement.
It is necessary to distinguish between hazardous substances, inputs of which should be prevented, and other pollutants, inputs of which should be limited. Annex VIII to Directive 2000/60/EC, listing the main pollutants relevant for the water environment, should be used to identify hazardous and non-hazardous substances which present an existing or potential risk of pollution.
Separately, a group of medical professionals repeated their call for the UK to abandon its shale gas plans because of the threats it posed to health. A report from the London-based Medact charity said risks included reproductive problems from exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and respiratory damage from smog.
On 28 January 2015, we put in place a moratorium on UOG development in Scotland which prevents hydraulic fracturing and coalbed methane extraction taking place
4.6 The List I and List II groupings of substances under the GWD and 1998 Regulations no longer apply. Substances are instead treated as either 'hazardous substances' (initially broadly equating to the former List I) or non-hazardous pollutants' (analogous to the former List II, but potentially applying to all other pollutants) 'Hazardous substance' is defined in Article 2(29) of the Water FD as meaning substances or groups of substances that are toxic, persistent and liable to bio-accumulate, and other substances or groups of substances which give rise to an equivalent level of concern. The GWDD requires a different approach by which Member States or their competent authorities determine which substances should be determined as hazardous on the basis of their toxicity, persistence and capacity to bio-accumulate – i.e. positive determination rather than removal from a pre-determined list. This provides greater flexibility to include substances within, or alternatively exclude them from, the 'hazardous' category. In practice substances which have been determined as List I will continue to be regarded as hazardous and will only be reviewed if new evidence becomes available.
{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)Flowback fluid can be treated and re-used as fresh injection fluid for the purpose of hydraulic fracturing and we consider this to be a suitable environmental option. Flowback fluid must be reused where it is reasonably practicable to do so to meet the MWD obligation to minimise waste. However, waste flowback fluid may contain a concentration of NORM radionuclide's above the out of scope values. It will then require a radioactive substances activity permit for its disposal. You must send this to an appropriate permitted waste facility for treatment or disposal
Treatment and disposal may take place by re-injection during subsequent hydraulic fracturing, or it may be carried out at sites remote from the shale gas production facilities, for example sewage or effluent treatment sites and would be expected to remove up to 90% of NORM; only very low levels would still remain. After treatment, the water may still retain some of this natural radioactivity and disposal to rivers, estuaries, sea or groundwater may lead to intakes of radioactivity through consumption of drinking water and contaminated foodstuffs, or by direct exposure pathways.
Water stored below the ground in rocks or other geological strata is called groundwater. The geological strata that hold water are called aquifers. Groundwater may rise to the surface through naturally occurring springs, or be abstracted using boreholes and wells. Groundwater may also naturally flow into rivers (called base flow) and support wetlands, forming part of local ecosystems.The legal definition of groundwater is: 'All water which is below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground or subsoil.'Aquifers are: 'A subsurface layer or layers of rock or other geological strata of sufficient porosity and permeability to allow either a significant flow of groundwater or the abstraction of significant quantities of groundwater.
the Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction etc) Regulations 1996, known as DCR. These regulations, include specific requirements for all wells, whether onshore or offshore, and include well integrity provisions which apply throughout the life of shale gas wells. They also require a well operator to provide HSE with regular reports of any activities on the well and to appoint an independent well examiner to undertake regular assessments of well integrity.
From 1 October 2016, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) will be an independent regulator for the UK government, with a new set of powers to fulfil government expectations for the oil and gas industry.
PHE did not comment on the Medact report in this document. The Council commented: Many objectors refer to the 2015 report of the public health charity Medact. Medact say the risks and serious nature of the hazards associated with fracking, coupled with the concerns and uncertainties about the regulatory system, indicate that shale gas development should be halted until a more detailed health and environmental impact assessment is undertaken. The Medact report has not produced new epidemiological research but has reviewed published literature and has requested short papers from relevant experts in particular subject areas. It has also interviewed academics and experts. Unfortunately, one of the contributors (contributing to three of the report's six chapters – chapters 2, 4 and 5) has led a high profile campaign in the Fylde related to shale gas. Another contributor to the report (chapter 3) has previously expressed firm views on shale gas and has objected to this application. This has led to questions from some quarters about the report's objectivity.In light of these uncertainties it is not clear how much weight the County Council should attach to the report.
Website and feedback management for 'Let's Talk about Shale' – an UKOOG initiative where more than 8,000 stakeholders were engaged with.
Table 2.4: Composition of Fracking Fluid for Preese Hall Well 1. Total of 6 frack stages
Key points. Hazardous pollutants are produced at all stages of the shale gas production process. The range of pollutants are outlined in the report. Based on current evidence it is not possible to conclude that there is a strong association between shale gas related pollution and negative local health effects. However, there is clearly potential for negative health impacts. In particular, there are risks of (i) adverse reproductive outcomes due to exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals, (ii) risk of respiratory effects resulting from ozone and smog formation, (iii) stress, anxiety and other psycho-social effects arising from actual and perceived social and economic disruption.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)Within my Department the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) seeks to safeguard the quality of the environment as a whole through effective regulation of activities that have the potential to impact on the environment. High volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is considered by the Agency to be such an activity
The OGA regulates the licensing of exploration and development of the UK's offshore and onshore oil and gas resources, gas storage and unloading activities
To detect groundwater contamination, the UK's environmental regulators should work with the British Geological Survey (BGS) to carry out comprehensive national baseline surveys of methane and other contaminants in groundwater. Operators should carry out site-specific monitoring of methane and other contaminants in groundwater before, during and after shale gas operations
The very unlikely event of fractures propagating all the way to overlying aquifers would provide a possible route for fracture fluids to flow. However, suitable pressure and permeability conditions would also be necessary for fluids to flow. Sufficiently high upward pressures would be required during the fracturing process and then sustained afterwards over the long term once the fracturing process had ceased. It is very difficult to conceive of how this might occur given the UK's shale gas hydrogeological environments. Upward flow of fluids from the zone of shale gas extraction to overlying aquifers via fractures in the intervening strata is highly unlikely
The fracturing fluid that Cuadrilla has used at the Preese Hall exploration well site, and plans to use at future exploration well sites, is composed almost entirely of fresh water and sand. Cuadrilla also has approval to use the following additives: Polyacrylamide (friction reducer) Sodium salt (for tracing fracturing fluid) Hydrochloric acid (diluted with water) Glutaraldehyde biocide (used to cleanse water and remove bacteria) So far, as additives to fracturing fluid, Cuadrilla has only used polyacrylamide friction reducer along with a minuscule amount of salt, which acts as a tracer. Cuadrilla have not needed to use biocide as the water supplied by United Utilities to their Lancashire exploration well sites has already been treated to remove bacteria, nor have they used diluted hydrochloric acid in fracturing fluid. Additives proposed, in the quantities proposed, have resulted in the fracturing fluid being classified as non-hazardous by the Environment Agency.
5.Make water companies statutory consultees in the planning process. 6. Require all hydraulic fracturing operations to operate under a Groundwater Permit. 7.Make sure Best Available Techniques (BAT) for mine waste management are rigorously defined and regularly reviewed.
This article was corrected on 2 November 2019 to make clear that the government has halted, but not banned fracking as stated in an earlier version
Additionally the report's conclusions fail to take into account, that in the UK, water is more often available through pipelines, so there is no need to transport it across the country by truck.
Water UK told the Guardian there could be risks to the water supply particularly in the south-east, where the pressure of population puts supplies under stress.
We approached Friends of the Earth with the concerns that had been raised about its ad," said a spokesman for the ASA. "The advertiser agreed not to repeat the claims, or claims that had the same meaning. On that basis we closed the case informally. The ad must not appear again in its current form."
The ASA said that it has told FoE not to make claims about the likely effects of fracking on the health of local populations, drinking water, or property prices "in the absence of adequate evidence
Other claims made in the ad, entitled "Pat saved her home from fracking. You can save yours too", included that there would be "plummeting house prices"
UK Onshore Oil and Gas, the representative body of the UK's onshore oil and gas industry, notes the contribution made by leading conservation charities to the debate on shale gas regulation in their report: "Are We Fit To Frack." Of the 10 recommendations in the report, the vast majority are already in place or are in discussion. We look forward to being able to discuss with the six bodies who contributed to this report about the best way forward so that we ensure all misconceptions about the shale gas industry in the UK can be addressed. Ken Cronin Chief Executive UKOOG commented "We have studied this report and the fact that many of the recommendations are already in place in the UK or are in the process of being put in place. We hope that the publication of this report, despite a number of critical inaccuracies, will kickstart a process of open dialogue which we have already proposed to conservation agencies.
In June 2013 United Kingdom Onshore Oil and Gas launched a "Shale Community Engagement Charter", which outlines the steps the industry will take to address concerns around safety, noise, dust, truck movements and other environmental issues
This article was corrected on 2 November 2019 to make clear that the government has halted, but not banned fracking as stated in an earlier version