Our Concerns
Lack of regulations – this is a self-regulating industry.
Substantial health risks from air and water pollution.
There is a huge risk to the local environment, particularly through chemical spills.
Contamination of the aquifer through poor well design – no independent agency is checking well integrity.
Very large radioactive sources are used during wireline logging, compromising public health. Security is also an issue should these sources fall into the hands of criminals or terrorists.
There will be an increase in traffic with 500 trucks per well and up to 800 wells across the Fylde and nearby areas – that’s a lot of trucks on our roads.
The process uses vast amounts of water – millions of gallons per well. The water will be supplied by United Utilities and will be fresh drinking water.
Up to 40% of water used comes back up the well as contaminated fracking sludge. It contains chemicals, heavy metals and naturally occuring radon. This contaminated sludge hasn’t, as yet, got a permit from the Environment Agency to be transported to a treatment facility. Where will it go to be treated? The EA can’t/won’t tell us. There will be hundreds of trucks on our roads carrying this sludge – what if there is an accident?
We have already had two notable earthquakes and numerous small ones, which Cuadrilla addmitted have been linked to fracking at Preece Hall. What more is to come?
There is a very real risk of substantial land subsidence. The Fylde is a low lying area – there could eventually be up to 2,400 miles of horizontal shafts below the surface, posing a real threat of substantial slippage. Subsidence will result in a negative impact on our property prices. Will we be able to insure our homes?
The Fylde will be turned into an industrial zone and will have a negative knock-on effect on our main industries – tourism and agriculture
Most importantly, shale gas is a fossil fuel which will contribute to global warming. We should be investing in long-term renewables