Fracking gets green light

[Parvo]

Neither am I, but I'm in favour of unconventional gas.

What's your main objection to the exploitation of shale gas?

 

This article in The Register is very good and tackles the objections raised by anti-fracking campaigners, a recommended read -

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/14/gaia_violated_by_frackers/

 

that article doesn't answer anything.....it seems to just be sneering at environmentalists.

and where does it mention the members of government that are involved in the company? could this be how it gets its licences?

where is the proof that it will work on a commercial scale?

and if its not made any money yet how will it compensate for any foul ups it makes.. (more likely bankrupt that part of the company and leave the taxpayer to clear up )

And where does it guarentee that it is doing this in safe areas-one of their sites is worryingly close to the springfield nuclear facility at salwick.? just where you want an earthquake-even if its a teeney tiny one.

[retep]

that article doesn't answer anything.....it seems to just be sneering at environmentalists.

and where does it mention the members of government that are involved in the company? could this be how it gets its licences?

where is the proof that it will work on a commercial scale?

and if its not made any money yet how will it compensate for any foul ups it makes.. (more likely bankrupt that part of the company and leave the taxpayer to clear up )

And where does it guarentee that it is doing this in safe areas-one of their sites is worryingly close to the springfield nuclear facility at salwick.? just where you want an earthquake-even if its a teeney tiny one.

 

 

WWHHOOO! he's behind you.

[wednesday1]

 

No, why would I, don't be so stupid?

 

I'm not in favour of anything that causes earthquakes and water pollution, and neither would you be if it happened near you.

 

 

I've heard that Graves Park is going to the first local site chosen for fracking, LOL!!!

[anywebsite]

Also, the vast quantities of water required. Where is that going to come from? We already regularly experience drought.

 

Maybe they could use some of the flood water?

 

This is the only country in the world to experience drought & flooding in the same place at the same time.

 

Does it need to be drinking water standard? We're surrounded by sea & plenty of water usually falls out of the sky. There's lots of waste water too. Gas demand tends to be higher in winter anyway, could shut it down if it stops raining for 3 days in a row in summer & drought is declared.

[I1L2T3]

Maybe they could use some of the flood water?

 

This is the only country in the world to experience drought & flooding in the same place at the same time.

 

Does it need to be drinking water standard? We're surrounded by sea & plenty of water usually falls out of the sky. There's lots of waste water too. Gas demand tends to be higher in winter anyway, could shut it down if it stops raining for 3 days in a row in summer & drought is declared.

 

To be honest I don't know what water they can use so that is why I asked.

 

Obviously if it's mains water that might be an issue. Likewise if they get permission to use rivers or aquifers then that could be an issue too. If they can pump it from the sea that might be better but then I guess it might not be possible on all sites.

 

It's yet another part of the mystique around fracking. While everybody argues pointlessly about minor earthquakes and fracking that will take places thousands of feet too deep to have any impact on the surface, we are deflected away from the potential polluting effects of the surface operations (chemicals, storage, transport, disposal, well integrity) and key questions about use of scarce resources like water.

[maxmaximus]

It doesn't look such a good idea when you start reading about it.

 

Hazardous Air Pollutants Detected Near Fracking Sites, Dec 4, 2012

 

 

Fracking may be causing groundwater pollution, says EPA report Friday 9 December 2011

 

Environmental Protection Agency announces findings after Wyoming residents complained well water reeked of chemicals.

 

US environmental authorities have declared for the first time that fracking - a technique used in Australia to extract coal-seam gas - could may be to blame for groundwater pollution.

 

October 4, 2012

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sparked a firestorm in December last year when it released a draft report suggesting that the use of hydraulic fracturing — or 'fracking' — to extract natural gas had contaminated groundwater near Pavillion, Wyoming.

 

17 November 2012

Environmental researchers have detected excess greenhouse gas levels near the site of Australia’s biggest coal seam gas field, prompting calls for halting expansion of hydraulic fracturing until scientists can determine whether it might be contributing to climate change.

 

Feb 22, 2012

A fracking study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration revealed hydraulic fracturing releases larger amounts of methane into the atmosphere

 

Add methane emissions to the growing list of environmental risks posed by fracking.

[I1L2T3]

It doesn't look such a good idea when you start reading about it.

 

Hazardous Air Pollutants Detected Near Fracking Sites, Dec 4, 2012

 

 

Fracking may be causing groundwater pollution, says EPA report Friday 9 December 2011

 

Environmental Protection Agency announces findings after Wyoming residents complained well water reeked of chemicals.

 

US environmental authorities have declared for the first time that fracking - a technique used in Australia to extract coal-seam gas - could may be to blame for groundwater pollution.

 

October 4, 2012

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sparked a firestorm in December last year when it released a draft report suggesting that the use of hydraulic fracturing — or 'fracking' — to extract natural gas had contaminated groundwater near Pavillion, Wyoming.

 

17 November 2012

Environmental researchers have detected excess greenhouse gas levels near the site of Australia’s biggest coal seam gas field, prompting calls for halting expansion of hydraulic fracturing until scientists can determine whether it might be contributing to climate change.

 

Feb 22, 2012

A fracking study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration revealed hydraulic fracturing releases larger amounts of methane into the atmosphere

 

Add methane emissions to the growing list of environmental risks posed by fracking.

 

Thanks for posting those links. Very interesting.

 

The surface and air pollution risks look very real. Extremely worrying. So as I said why is the focus still on minor earth tremors and in the case of the UK the unlikely chance of groundwater contamination because the wells will be so deep?

 

IMO we're not focusing on and debating the most likely risks, the ones that are most critical to us given the high population density in the UK.

[Nagel]

Thanks for posting those links. Very interesting.

 

The surface and air pollution risks look very real. Extremely worrying. So as I said why is the focus still on minor earth tremors and in the case of the UK the unlikely chance of groundwater contamination because the wells will be so deep?

 

IMO we're not focusing on and debating the most likely risks, the ones that are most critical to us given the high population density in the UK.

 

I have absolutely no doubt that there have been problems in the USA in the dash for gas. We need to avoid those here by careful monitoring and regulation of the industry. I mentioned further back how I worked in the USA once and was shocked by their appallingly lax attitudes to safety and environmental issues on drilling rigs over there.

 

I think we can do it a lot better.

[I1L2T3]

I have absolutely no doubt that there have been problems in the USA in the dash for gas. We need to avoid those here by careful monitoring and regulation of the industry. I mentioned further back how I worked in the USA once and was shocked by their appallingly lax attitudes to safety and environmental issues on drilling rigs over there.

 

I think we can do it a lot better.

 

I think we will have to do better because there is so little margin for error.

 

A question for you. Why does the hydraulic fluid for fracking have to be laced with toxic chemicals? Is there any way that acceptable results could be achieved without using toxic chemicals? IMO if that were possible it could remove some of the issues, for example if the fracking fluid was made up of water, sand and non-polluting organic compounds. It's been a long time since I did physics but I do know that hydraulic fluid does not have to be toxic

 

I think the main issue we have now is that the ongoing regulatory framework is going to be put in place by the Tories who are hell bent on reducing regulation across the board. If this meant big profits for Tory donors I don't really think the Tories will give a stuff. They're already talking about paying off communities in Tory heartlands to allow fracking to take place.

[maxmaximus]

I think we will have to do better because there is so little margin for error.

 

A question for you. Why does the hydraulic fluid for fracking have to be laced with toxic chemicals? Is there any way that acceptable results could be achieved without using toxic chemicals? IMO if that were possible it could remove some of the issues, for example if the fracking fluid was made up of water, sand and non-polluting organic compounds. It's been a long time since I did physics but I do know that hydraulic fluid does not have to be toxic

 

I think the main issue we have now is that the ongoing regulatory framework is going to be put in place by the Tories who are hell bent on reducing regulation across the board. If this meant big profits for Tory donors I don't really think the Tories will give a stuff. They're already talking about paying off communities in Tory heartlands to allow fracking to take place.

 

That’s an answer I've been looking for but can’t find on Google, but I did find this.

 

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Last summer a Halliburton executive did the unthinkable: He took a big ol' swig of hydraulic fracturing fluid.

 

No, he didn't have a death wish. And yes, he appears to be doing just fine. He did it to prove a point: fracking fluid need not be toxic.

What the exec drank was a new formulation of fracking fluid made with ingredients sourced from the food industry rather than the chemical industry.

 

 

In addition to the harmful frack chemicals oil companies put down the wells, they also pull out some pretty nasty stuff.

 

The water that's found at the depth the industry drills to is often extremely salty and laced with naturally occurring heavy metals and radioactive isotopes.

 

Disposing of this waste water has been a challenge. Reports have indicated that some frack water has previously been improperly treated before being dumped into rivers that are also used a source for drinking water.