On Sunday 31st January, over 30 UK environmental groups – including one in Lyme Regis – will be holding public gatherings under the collective banner, ‘No Fracking Way’. A few days ago, they were also joined by a group in Australia.
These events are part of a national initiative to raise awareness of the UK government’s plans to push through their agenda of fracking, against the wishes of a great many scientists and environmentalists and 49% of the population1(27% are in favour).
Fracking 2 is the more commonly used term for high pressure hydraulic fracturing. This process involves drilling vertically into the earth (approximately 2 to 3.5km), then horizontally (around 3km). Next, an extremely high-pressure blend of water, sand and volatile chemicals (including carcinogenic ones like benzene, toluene and xylene) are injected into the rock in the hope of releasing any shale gas or oil locked away inside it. Any fossil fuel deposits are forced up to the surface and frequently the mix also contains other toxic stowaways like radioactive radon gas.
This simple description of the process is an ideal scenario but in truth, the industry in the US, Australia, Canada and other countries where it has been taking place for a few decades, has notched up countless health, safety and environment impacting failures. These include leaks, failing wells, explosions, earthquakes and water contamination which has killed livestock, poisoned water systems and ruined crops, all of which are widely documented and continue to be closely monitored 3. Many scientific professionals 4, academics and members of the public are saying these growing catastrophes should act as vital warnings not to attempt to frack our land.
The only hydraulic fracturing job that has been performed for shale gas in the UK was by Cuadrilla Resources in 2011. The process was suspended in June of that year after wider safety concerns emerged following two earthquakes in Blackpool which Cuadrilla later admitted, occurred as a result of their operation; a subsequent report increased the figure significantly to some 50 quakes 5.
So what does this mean for Lyme Regis and Dorset? On 17th December 2015 the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) announced in their 14thround of licensing that 159 new onshore blocks were being formally offered to energy companies 6. This is exceptionally contentious as the government has gone back on its pre-election promise not to frack in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty 7 (which Lyme is), Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Parks. In this particular round, the nearest one to Lyme is just 26 miles away on the edge of Dorchester 8 and perhaps more worryingly, on the North Somerset coast surrounding the nuclear plant at Hinkley Point.
Lyme residents Simon and Tracey West are passionate advocates for sustainable living and they founded Frack Free Lyme Regis at the end of 2015. They are proud members of Turn Lyme Green and have organised a No Fracking Way public awareness event on the 31st January. People will be able to listen to knowledgeable speakers, including Len Herbert from the Green Party, Andrew Fawcett, a specialist on wind generation, Marcus Dixon, an expert on solar power and David Taylor, the Liberal Democrat Councillor for Dorchester North, who is very concerned about the licences granted in our county town.
People are invited to gather and chat at the Marine Parade Shelters from 10am to 10.45am, following which the group will head to the private function room of The Pilot Boat Inn where discounted refreshments will be served and the speakers along with a couple of entertaining eco-poets will raise awareness about fracking and lay out our options for safer alternatives.
Tracey comments, ‘Fracking simply shouldn’t be allowed to get a foothold anywhere near Lyme and many people are deeply concerned about it. If nearby water sources are contaminated beyond repair, our neighbouring counties could potentially drain our reserves from North Devon and that will undoubtedly impact us.’
The water required to drill one single fracking well would fill 2-20 Olympic sized swimming pools 9. There are commonly between 10-60 wells per fracking site and the tanker deliveries of water alone per well amount to 200-2,000 tanker movements. Frack Free Lyme Regis feel this is traffic we do not need on any of our roads.
Simon adds, ‘Flare stacks burn unwanted gasses on the site carrying toxic pollutants 10 well over town and county borders. These are a tiny handful of the reasons why our members and many other people are exercising their right to oppose fracking, both in and around Lyme. This is not an issue that goes away on the Devon border.’
There are no details as yet of the 15th round of licensing, but DrillOrDop.com have an excellent interactive map and are sure to announce them as soon as they are available.
For further details about Frack Free Lyme Regis and for more information on the No Fracking Way event on the 31st January, visit www.Facebook.com/groups/FrackFreeLymeRegis email [email protected] or call 07724 155 494.
#NoFrackingWay #NFWJ31 #StarveFracking
References
1YouGov survey May 2015 – https://moxp.uk/73
2CPRE Definition of fracking – https://moxp.uk/72
3Fracking Failures: Oil and Gas Industry Environmental Violations in Pennsylvania and What They Mean for the U.S – https://moxp.uk/70
Canadian officials confirm largest earthquake caused by fracking – https://moxp.uk/74
US environmental agency advising Australia on impact of fracking on water – https://moxp.uk/75
4Water chemist Peter Rollinson explains fracking dangers to water systems https://moxp.uk/7a
5The Independent reports on Cuadrilla earth tremors – https://moxp.uk/6z
6Gov.uk announcement of OGA license offers – https://moxp.uk/71
DrillOrDrop.com Interactive map of licensed areas – https://moxp.uk/78
7DECC announcement that fracking would not take place under AONBs SSSIs or National Parks – https://moxp.uk/76
8Dorset Echo reports that gas companies granted licences for fracking in Dorset https://moxp.uk/79
9Frack-Off report on fracking water usage – https://moxp.uk/7b
USGS Water usage in various fracking operations – https://moxp.uk/7c
10Earthworks report on flaring and venting – https://moxp.uk/7d
The Ecologist report – natural gas victims flee Colorado’s toxic air – https://moxp.uk/7e
Contact
Tracey West
Sustainable living author, broadcaster, co-founder of Frack Free Lyme Regis,
Patron: Dorset Charity, Trustee: National Charity
Mobile: 07817 156 391
Email: [email protected]
Simon West
Publisher, broadcaster, co-founder of Frack Free Lyme Regis,
Mobile: 07896 884 114
Email: [email protected]
