Fracking Is THE Big Issue Of The Day In The North West

To frack or not to frack, that is the question that is on everyones lips here in the North West, and it seems fracking is like marmite, you are either all for it or you feel it is going to be the death of all of us in the not too distant future.

Lancashire County Council have now deferred a decision over whether they are going to allow the firm Cuadrilla to start hydraulic fracturing for shale gas in their area on the Fylde coast until Monday, in the meantime they are going to seek more legal advice over the issue. Meanwhile anti-fracking protesters have been massed outside the County Hall in Preston determined to show the strength of feeling against this process and telling Cuadrilla to `Frack Off`!!

So what do we know about the process of fracking? Here is what they do, they drill about 1 to 2 kilometres down into the ground and then they drill laterally from there for about another 1 to 2 kilometres. Then huge amounts of water, sand and chemicals are directed through massive pressure down into these holes which then releases gas from the shale and this carries up to the head of the well.

The problem is that in many countries this fracking process has led to small earthquakes, contaminated water, and land unfit for any purpose. Cuadrilla claim that this is down to bad working practices in these areas and they would have regulations in place that would ensure this would not happen.

Of course believing a multi-national company who see profit as the only real value of any process would be naive in the extreme, so will there be enough independent regulators and evaluators in place to assess and control the fracking process?

Many countries have thought better of it and banned fracking from their shores. If the Council say yes to fracking and anything goes wrong the legal implications are grave for them and the company.