Anti-fracking groups have welcomed confirmation from Downing Street that Rishi Sunak will reimpose the moratorium in England.
The new prime minister, on his second day in office, signalled in parliament that he would stand by the Conservative 2019 manifesto on fracking. This said the party would not support fracking unless the science “shows categorically that it can be done safely”.
The moratorium was formally lifted last month in a written ministerial statement from the then business secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Last week, there were chaotic scenes at Westminster during a vote on Labour moves to ban fracking. There were reports of Conservative MPs being manhandled through the voting lobby to oppose Labour’s motion. Liz Truss resigned the next day.
“Fracking is not socially, politically, environmentally and economically viable”
Claire Stephenson, of Frack Free Lancashire, which opposed Cuadrilla’s operations in the county, said:
“We’re pleased to learn that Rishi Sunak intends to stick to the 2019 Manifesto that the Conservatives were elected upon.
“The Written Ministerial Statement by Jacob Rees-Mogg should now be either withdrawn, rewritten or reinstated from 2019.
“The chaotic scenes in Parliament during the vote on fracking were highly embarrassing for the government, and it finished off Liz Truss’s short-lived premiership.
“Fracking has never been the solution for the energy crisis or future energy needs. Particularly in Lancashire, the geology is highly unsuitable – as has been pointed out by many experts over 11 years. It was always the wrong technology, at the wrong time, and in the wrong place.
“We welcome yet another U-turn from this government but the ongoing stress of uncertainty and worries for communities has been immeasurable. Fracking divides communities everywhere that they try to impose it. It has done here in Lancashire and we will never forgive or forget this.
“Our future energy needs should be met by renewable energy, more so now than ever. With a climate crisis gathering pace and a desperate need to transition away from fossil fuels for good, clean energy is the future.
“Let’s hope PM Sunak keeps to his promise made today at PMQs and that fracking is now consigned permanently to the dustbin of history.
“Fracking is not socially, politically, environmentally and economically viable. Let this be the end of it.”
Susan Holliday, of Preston New Action Group, a community group opposing Cuadrilla’s shale gas operations near Blackpool, said this afternoon:
“This is a welcome turnaround by the government. We look forward to BEIS either withdrawing the latest Written Ministerial Statement or issuing a new one.
“A complete ban on fracking would be an even better outcome.
“The events of the last week have shown what a contentious issue fracking is and just how much people don’t want it in their communities. At Preston New Road the onus is now on Cuadrilla to restore the site as per the current planning permission”.
Photo: Maxine Gill
Last week, Preston New Road Action Group, Friends of the Earth and Talk Fracking took the first steps in a legal challenge to the lifting of the moratorium. They sent a letter before action to Mr Rees-Mogg arguing that his written ministerial statement was unlawful and irrational.
Friends of the Earth’s energy campaigner Danny Gross said today:
“This is a fantastic victory for common sense, the environment and local communities across the country who have stood up to the threat of fracking.
“The government must now focus on real solutions to the energy crisis including a street-by-street home insulation programme and developing the UK’s huge potential of onshore wind and solar energy production.”
Greenpeace said:
“We welcome this decision and urge Sunak to also halt all new licences for oil and gas exploration.”
“Common sense may have prevailed”
Steve Mason, of Frack Free United, an umbrella organisation of campaign groups opposed to fracking, said:
“Finally, common sense may have prevailed.
“If the PM is committed to the manifesto, then fracking should be consigned back into the history books in the UK. Last week’s debate on fracking exposed the level of cross-party opposition to the process.
“The pro-fracking lobby will no doubt continue to make even wilder claims but the government seem to have recognised that there was no basis at all to lift the moratorium. Let’s hope communities can relax a bit more now.”
David Burley, of Frack Free South Yorkshire, said:
“Rishi Sunak was not elected to prime minister by the electorate or his own party membership, so he is wise to seek party unity by going back to the 2019 manifesto his party was elected on.
“Whatever his own views are on fracking there is too much opposition within his own party, especially in many Red Wall seats.
“The six weeks of Truss madness have been useful; it has confirmed the UK’s abhorrence of fracking. With gas stocks back up to target levels across Europe and the wholesale price falling, Truss’ engineered panic desire for shale gas had already ebbed away.
“Sadly, as long as shale gas remains underground someone will want to get it out; but that will be a matter for future generations.
“In the meantime, mitigating the worldwide economic and social impacts of climate breakdown is our immediate concern.”
“any proposals to recommence fracking should be subject to scientific scrutiny as originally stipulated, and not as an act of political opportunism.
“Whether this U-turn has genuinely been made in order to protect our communities from the impacts of fracking, or as a result of the political seismicity experienced by the Tory party can only be speculated upon.
“Either way, recent events will hopefully draw a line under the issue and highlight to investors that shale gas in the UK is simply not worth the risk.”
Campaigners who opposed IGas shale gas plans at Springs Road in north Nottinghamshire, said:
“Frack Free Misson welcomes the reinstatement of the moratorium, in that any proposals to recommence fracking should be subject to scientific scrutiny as originally stipulated, and not as an act of political opportunism.
“Whether this U-turn has genuinely been made in order to protect our communities from the impacts of fracking, or as a result of the political seismicity experienced by the Tory party can only be speculated upon. Either way, recent events will hopefully draw a line under the issue and highlight to investors that shale gas in the UK is simply not worth the risk.”
Labour’ climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, visited Misson before last week’s parliamentary debate on fracking. He said today:
“The truth is that that the Tories cannot be trusted on the issue. The only way to ban fracking for good is to elect a Labour government.”
“Last week Rishi Sunak voted against Labour’s ban on fracking, but this week his spokespeople say he is in favour of the temporary moratorium.
Moratorium loopholes
Outside shale gas areas, campaigners warned that the moratorium covered only operations that met the definition of associated hydraulic fracturing in the Infrastructure Act.
To comply with the definition, fracking would need to use more than 1,000 cubic meters of fluid for each fracture stage or 10,000 cubic meters in total in shale formations.
Since the moratorium was introduced, low-volume fracking has been carried out, legally, at the Wressle oil site in North Lincolnshire.
Fossil Free East Yorkshire said:
“Fracking just under the associated hydraulic fracturing volume, or extreme techniques in other formations, such as enhanced recovery from unconventional tight sandstones, or using large volumes of acid in limestone, are not subject to the moratorium.
“So 80% of U.S. fracking wells would NOT be subject to this weak moratorium, and would not be subject to fracking regulations.
“Anti-fracking groups across the UK are calling for a proper ban on extreme fossil fuel extraction, that can not be casually overturned on a future government’s whim.”
Keep Wisborough Green a group based in West Sussex, said:
“UK Oil & Gas is still involved in the Weald and the re-definition of the term fracking in the Infrastructure Bill meant applications for drilling for oil and gas continued in southern England.”
Shares fall
The four main shale gas licence-holders, Cuadrilla, IGas, Ineos and Egdon Resources, have not yet publicly responded to today’s news.
At the time of writing, the IGas share price had fallen more than 28%. IGas also lost a planning application today for grey hydrogen in Surrey.
Shares in Egdon Resources were down more than 13%.
Cuadrilla’s owner, A J Lucas, trades on the Australian stock market. Its shares dropped 50% when trading opened.
A J Lucas issued a brief statement noting the news:
“AJL will evaluate the impact of these statements, and any further details that may be forthcoming from the UK Government. AJL will provide further information as available and appropriate.”
Rishi Sunak had supported fracking, with local consent, during the summer leadership contest against Liz Truss.
Its lobbying organisation, UKOOG, did not respond to the announcement. Last month, the shale gas industry welcomed Liz Truss’s lifting of the moratorium and earlier this week, it congratulated Rishi Sunak on his appointment as prime minister:
“We look forward to working closely with you to deliver timely shale gas development in the national interest as part of the UK’s energy security and net zero strategy.”
Net Zero Watch, which says it scrutinises UK government policy on net zero, said:
“Rishi Sunak has signalled that he intends to re-impose a ban on fracking. Britain needs more domestic gas supply as soon as possible, reimposing the fracking ban would be a national act of self-harm on the largest scale!”
Updated 27/10/22 to include reaction from Fossil Free East Yorkshire and Keep Wisborough Green, plus statement and share price information from Cuadrilla’s owner, A J Lucas.
DRILL OR DROP? 
The situation is as clear as mud.
After ten years, the expensive, toxic and dangerous fracking experiment in Lancashire has failed.
RIP fracking.
Downing Street has confirmed the moratorium has been reinstated. Fracking is not going ahead. That is clear.
Well, we will be importing fracked gas from Australia and America to be consumed by the UK to ensure our Net Zero credentials, because the entitled uneducated antis don’t understand the energy industry!
Let one country burn, to net zero carbon another…
#hypocristsaretheantis #notinmybackyard what are the alternatives for the derivatives you here me ask? You ‘educated’ lot?
‘Cannot educate mince beef’!
What is there to understand? It’s a scam and has resulted in stranded assets and lost investment. Simples . There’s nothing but sour grapes and rudeness from the pro frackers when they were warned that it wouldn’t happen.
It appears that Jacob Rees-Mogg and Liz Truss have left a ‘dirty bomb’ in the shape of the EU Retained Law Bill conditions and clauses. They have left a Parliamentary, catastrophic stink behind that will destroy any remaining trust left in Rishi Sunak’s government, or any other conservative U turn rapid turn over.
Watch this only recently 26th October recorded Parliamentary debate (almost deserted), that exposes just how much damage to this country, the 44 days in power of Liz Truss and Jacob Rees-Mogg have done to us all in such a short time. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IvaMHqkUZ8&ab_channel=PoliticsJOE
Labour MP, Hilary Benn reports that, Jacob Rees-Mogg wrote to him in the 13th October 2022, to the extent that –
*’The bill (the EU Retained Law Bill) will require departments, to remove, unnecessary and burdensome laws, which encumber business, and no longer meet the government’s policy objectives’* After December 2023, all the legislation that has not attained the government’s as yet unstated requirements to retain, will fall after December 2023.
None of that has been stated in anything other than the so called ‘Dashboard’. *’It’s not a little list, it’s a jolly big list’* and the Parliament and the public will have no access or ability to discuss anything in that list that will cause protection bills and laws to cease to exist after December 2023, if they are not renewed as a matter of course. Nor will anyone be able to re-establish items on that list to survive the December 2023 ‘purge’!
I would suggest that all constituents of all parties write to their MP’s asap, to state how the EU Retained Law Bill is unacceptable in any Parliamentary democracy, and to fight tooth and nail to remove all clauses from that bill that are devised to delete any law the government sees fit into the waste bin and out of the law and statute books.
What’s the betting that the fracking moratorium is one of those bills to be dropped on the 23rd December 2023?
Then you may consider the reported Jacob Rees-Mogg leaked document said that all environmental laws will be ‘Deregulated’ without the public’s knowledge, participation, or ability to object and that all such inconvenient laws will be ‘Deregulated’ to allow business to run unencumbered over all environmental and human rights protection laws regulations and statutes.
I would guess that no-one expected the facts to hit the fan so soon after the victory of the fracking moratorium reinstatement. But as usual, it’s not what the conservative politicians say, It’s what they don’t say that’s the real object of the exercise.
I apologise for ruining your evening, but the truth had to come out, sooner or later. Thanks to Hilary Benn MP. Conflict it seems has another battle to fight. It’s better to open Jacob Rees-Mogg’s final departing Pandora’s box now, than when it’s too late to do anything about it.
Everyone will have until December 2023 to force the truth out by insisting our MP’s debate this further in Parliament, not just perjure themselves by this corrupt EU Retained Law Bill as they did with the fracking/conservative panic vote. Only then, can the United Kingdom public have our say about this corrupt bill.
it’s a disgrace that the Tories are planning to ditch EU laws by December 2023 but I doubt it will be allowed to happen anyway. There are far too many opposed to it, from lawyers, businesses union and environmentalists. As far as the fracking moratorium is concerned, that’s a Tory pledge in the 2019 Tory manifesto on which they were elected. It’s not connected with EU regulations.
Yes Pauline, thanks for confirming that the fracking moratorium is beyond the incorporation of the EEC regulations into United Kingdom law since the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community (as it then was). On 1 January 1973. Which, incidentally, was informed to the public, as a simple trading community. At the time, under PM Edward Heath, nowhere was the joining of the EEC/EU, intended to submit the United Kingdom under, what became the European Union sovereignty ownership without significant indepencant benefits.
However, along with such whacky regulations about ‘straight bananas’ and ‘regulation sized fruit’ are the environment protection and the human rights laws and regulations. It was reported, post joining the EEC/EU, that there were often tens of EEC/EU boxes issued a day, of laws regulations, including statutes and conditions that were not examined, but just passed into United Kingdom laws as a matter of necessity due to the sheer volume of the output, rather than any scrutiny or verification.
The concern, is that rather than just dumping the entire EU output into the waste bin of history with the EU Retained Law Bill, that each law, regulation, or statute that was absorbed with, or without question needs to be examined, discussed and made public in Parliamentary, or commission debate, so that the public may be informed about just what Jacob Rees-Mogg, described as
*’The bill (the EU Retained Law Bill) will require departments, to remove, unnecessary and burdensome laws, which encumber business, and no longer meet the government’s policy objectives’*. That was intended to be put into place without any MP, Parliamentary, Cabinet, or public notification or even knowledge. Sure the United Kingdom can do without regulations on ‘straight bananas’ and ‘regulation size fruits’, but they were only the most insignificant of those EU laws, regulations, statutes and conditions. The remainder protections incorporated in the EU laws, regulations, statutes and conditions, require extensive scrutiny, lest the human rights that environmentally protected babies human rights are thrown out with the EU bathwater.
That scrutiny process itself, could take years, maybe ‘dozens’ in imperial (or in metric ‘tens’) of years. Incidentally, will the United Kingdom, for example, also dump metrication and decimalisation as that was imposed upon entering the EU/EEC Community?
No wonder that Jacob Rees-Mogg wanted that concealed away from everyone?
Thanks to Labour MP, Hilary Benn for highlighting the anti-Democratic ‘Dirty Bomb’ that was concealed within the EU Retained Law Bill, that has now been made public for all to see and debate about. Our MP’s inbox should be red-hot by now,
Absolutely Jono, as you say. ” nothing but sour grapes & rudeness from the pro-frackers.”
I have noticed this myself. Some of the pro-fracking statements on this site have been rather unimpressive and intemperate ad hominem attacks on those opposed to fracking.
However, perhaps the pro-frackers should now be left in peace to mourn ?
Eli, come now, why would the educated or even non-educated want to educate mince-beef 🤔 seems a bit of time…
never mind, just pop down to Waitrose and get yourself a very large helping of grapes, “sour” grapes at that to chew on 😆
Waitrose?, I’m not a privileged as you cuckoo!
Oh Eli dear, don’t get to caught up on the whereabouts you get your sour grapes from, besides, I’m sure like most of us you would call into a Waitrose store if convenient to you. Furthermore, I’m sure by reading your posts that you’re not exactly pleading poverty ….happy chewing on them grapes 🍇
Eli poppet, here in the UK we received the first tanker load of Austrailan LNG in six years last month. Indeed Europe had not imported any liquified natural gas from Australia prior to that for more than half a decade. Some of the gas from that delivery is likely to be used in the UK straight away, but much of it will probably flow to Europe through the pipelines that connect Britain to the continent. To suggest that we are in *any* way reliant on Australian fracked gas to ensure our Net Zero credentials is simply preposterous
You really are clutching at straws, but that’s OK as you must be feeling very sore today, so we’ll forgive you this once.
I’ll just enjoy my profits from my Alaskan and North Sea prospects! I may want to enjoy them out of the UK where they’d be more welcome John!
You do that. Don’t let the door bang your backside on the way out
A certified and verified NIMBY John, thank for confirming that! I knew it!
The Anti Capitalist, Labour Party rhetoric! enjoy the Diesel BMW
Eli – you are clearly upset by the failure of your project so I’ll just ignore your silly tantrum
But you are clearly intrigued Hobson!, That is why you didn’t ignore my previous statement!
Alas the slinging of muck clearly gets thrown back, with big emphasis on health and the environment, pollution and lets promote more alternatives. That is easy to say when others are the ones initiating that while you actively protest progression, Clearly! World population is accelerating to above 8 billion people, the huge divide of the have’s and the have not’s, the developing continents being pillaged to allow us in the northern hemisphere to promote our Net Zero (tunnel-minded view), While not actually changing our material ways is hypocritical! “The Brit who calls his home his castle and to hell with the rest of progression” except what we can extract from other countries but our own is our major downfall and the lack of ownership of our own resources allows for foreign ownership and an increase in world markets in commodity prices! It is a Real World problem, but because of a few unhappy residents, the UK is slowly moving in to middle earth and lacking behind many smaller, MORE DYNAMIC & Faster Accelerate nations in GDP! What exactly do we have left to export naturally??
But I’M SURE, you’ll be OK Jack!!(OR john!)
Hi-De-Hi!!
The stark scientific facts we have learned today show that there is no credible pathway at present to limit global temperatures to 1.5 C and we are on course for a catastrophic 2.8 C increase – perhaps it is you that does not understand climate science Eli-Goth, or perhaps you’re simply a denier? Rather than those that oppose fracking and the extraction of new fossil fuel reserves? Either way your argument is already lost because a fossil fuel future is a diminishing one, green energy is the future. The sad fact is we are now at crisis point, requiring urgent action which could have been avoided. And what a better place we would have been in right now had we ditched our over reliance on gas sooner. Indeed had we progressed the improvement of energy efficiency in buildings, we would have already scrapped the need for LNG imports.
The capability for a wholesale change of our energy system already exists, investment and commitment is what is required. I have already provided links to studies that show how this can be achieved and with a payback period of six years. Indeed with gas prices so high, the cost of achieving Net Zero in terms of GDP is reducing.
Net zero is our lifeline not some whimsical ideology.
Insults never impress in fact it shows you have already lost the argument you were trying to make.
For those concerned about “toxic and dangerous”; “green technology” has its issues, please listen to the following.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct4krl
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct4krm
Nick: Thanks for these links much of which information I am sadly already aware.
But please do not minimise the potential adverse health impacts on those in Lancashire, who would have been forced, without choice, to live very close to fracking. Would you elect to live 300 metres from a fracking site ?
Apart from the fracking induced earthquake 2.9ML, intensity 6, ”caused by a fault that could not have been detected on survey data.” There were 197 reports of structural or household damage to the British Geological Survey (BGS)
Cuadrilla has not revealed how many complaints it received, nor the value of any damage or compensation paid.
The BGS said it also received several thousand reports from people who felt the earthquake.
BGS recorded the seismicity at intensity level 6: ”Felt by all with some minor structural damage eg fallen chimneys etc.”
Regarding the potential adverse health impacts the following may be helpful:
Fracking & Air Quality & Noise:
Soeder, D.J. (2021). Fracking and Air Quality. In: Fracking and the Environment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59121-2_5
Allshouse WB., et al. Community noise and air pollution exposure during the development of a multi-well oil and gas pad. Environmental science & technology 53.12 (2019): 7126-7135. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.9b00052
Gonzalez DJX, et al Upstream oil and gas production and ambient air pollution in California. Sci Total Environ. 2022 Feb 1;806(Pt 1):150298.
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150298. Epub 2021 Sep 11. PMID: 34844318.
Fracking & Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia:
Clark CJ et al Unconventional Oil and Gas Development Exposure and Risk of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case–Control Study in Pennsylvania, 2009–2017 Envronmental Health Perspectives (2022) 130, 8
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP11092
Heck JEet al Parental occupational exposure to benzene and the risk of childhood and adolescent acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a population-based study Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2019;76:527-529.
Fracking & Asthma exacerbation & respiratory disease
Bushong A et al Publicly available data reveals association between asthma hospitalizations and unconventional natural gas development in Pennsylvania. PLoS ONE 2022, 17(3): e0265513. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265513
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0265513
Blundell W & Anatolii Kokoza A, Natural gas flaring, respiratory health, and distributional effects, Journal of Public Economics,2022, 208, 104601, ISSN 0047-2727, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2022.104601.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047272722000032)
Rasmussen SG et al, Association between unconventional natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale and asthma exacerbations, JAMA internal medicine, 2016, vol. 176, no. 9, pp. 1334–1343, https://search.proquest.com/openview/38707d6ad223efa2d5ac7f3bb8873a76/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2043523
Johnston JE et al, Respiratory health, pulmonary function and local engagement in urban communities near oil development, Environmental Research, Volume 197, 2021, 111088, ISSN 0013-9351, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.111088.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935121003820)
Fracking & Adverse Birth outcomes:
Deziel NC Invited Perspective: Oil and Gas Development and Adverse Birth Outcomes: What More Do We Need to Know? Environmental Health Perspectives, 2021, 129:7 CID: 071301 https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9715
Willis MD et al . Associations between residential proximity to oil and gas drilling and term birth weight and small for gestational age infants in Texas: a difference-in-differences analysis. Environ Health Perspect, 2021, 129(7):077002, 10.1289/EHP7678. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP7678
Cairncross ZF et al, Association Between Residential Proximity to Hydraulic Fracturing Sites and Adverse Birth Outcomes JAMA Pediatrics 2022;176(6):585-592. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.0306
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2790802
Caron-Beaudoin E et al, Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air and tap water samples in residences of pregnant women living in an area of unconventional natural gas operations: Findings from the EXPERIVA study, Science of The Total Environment,2022,805, 150242, ISSN 0048-9697,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150242.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969721053195
Tran KV et al, Residential Proximity to Oil and Gas Development and Birth Outcomes in California: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 2006–2015 Births.
Environmental Health Perspectives 2020, Vol. 128, No. 6
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP5842
Willis MD et al, Associations between residential proximity to oil and gas extraction and hypertensive conditions during pregnancy: a difference-in-differences analysis in Texas, 1996–2009, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 51, Issue 2, April 2022, Pages 525–536, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyab246
Whitworth KW et al, Maternal residential proximity to unconventional gas development and perinatal outcomes among a diverse urban population in Texas Plos One 2017 2017 Jul 21;12(7):e0180966. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180966. PMID: 28732016; PMCID: PMC5522007.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180966
Casey JA et al, Unconventional natural gas development and birth outcomes in Pennsylvania, USA, Epidemiology, 2016. vol. 27, no. 2, p. 163, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26426945/
Fracking & Skin & respiratory symptoms
Rabinowitz PM et al Proximity to Natural Gas Wells and Reported Health Status: Results of a Household Survey in Washington County, Pennsylvania Environmental Health Perspectives 2015, Vol. 123, No. 1 https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.1307732
Fracking & Stroke mortality
Hu C et al Spatiotemporal Correlation Analysis of Hydraulic Fracturing and Stroke in the United States
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10817 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36078531/
Fracking & Heart disease:
Denham A et al Acute myocardial infarction associated with unconventional natural gas development: A natural experiment. Environmental Research, 2021; 195: 110872 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33581094/
McKenzie LM et al, Relationships between indicators of cardiovascular disease and intensity of oil and natural gas activity in Northeastern Colorado, Environmental research, 2019, vol. 170, pp. 56–64, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6360130/
Fracking & Vasculitis
Makati D et al Prevalence of ANCA-associated vasculitis amid natural gas drilling sites in West Virginia Journal of Nephrology (2022) volume 35, pages1185–1192 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34989976/
Fracking & Rhinosinusitis & Migraine:
Tustin AW et al, Associations between Unconventional Natural Gas Development and Nasal and Sinus, Migraine Headache, and Fatigue Symptoms in Pennsylvania Environmental Health Perspectives, 2017, Vol.125, No. 2
Fracking & Mental health:
Gorski-Steiner I et al, The association of unconventional natural gas development with diagnosis and treatment of internalizing disorders among adolescents in Pennsylvania using electronic health records, Environmental Research, 2022, 212, Part A,113167, ISSN 0013-9351, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.113167.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935122004947
Aker AM et al, Proximity and density of unconventional natural gas wells and mental illness and substance use among pregnant individuals: An exploratory study in Canada, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2022, 242, 113962, ISSN 1438-4639, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.113962.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438463922000451
Soyer, M. et al Socio-Psychological Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Community Health and Well-Being. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 1186. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041186
Malin, SA et al Depressed democracy, environmental injustice: Exploring the negative mental health implications of unconventional oil and gas production in the United States, Energy Research & Social Science, 2020, Volume 70, 101720, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101720.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629620302954)
Hirsch, J.K. et al, Psychosocial Impact of Fracking: a Review of the Literature on the Mental Health Consequences of Hydraulic Fracturing. Int J Ment Health Addiction 16, 1–15 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-017-9792-5
Fracking & Silicosis
Hoy, RF et al. Current global perspectives on silicosis—Convergence of old and newly emergent hazards. Respirology. 2022; 27: 387– 398. https://doi.org/10.1111/resp.14242
Fedan JS, A Physico-chemical and Toxicological Evaluation of Fracking Sand Dusts
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, November 23, 2020
https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2020/11/23/fsd/
Esswein EJ, et al. Occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica during hydraulic fracturing. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2013; 10: 347– 56. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23679563/
Rosenman, KD, Hydraulic Fracturing and the Risk of Silicosis. Clinical Pulmonary Medicine: July 2014 – Volume 21 – Issue 4 – p 167-172 https://journals.lww.com/clinpulm/Abstract/2014/07000/Hydraulic_Fracturing_and_the_Risk_of_Silicosis.2.aspx
Quail M et al, Overview of silica-related clusters in the United States: Will fracking operations become the next cluster? J. Environ. Health, (2017) 79 (pp. 20-27. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26330599
Apergis N et al, An analysis of the impact of unconventional oil and gas activities on public health: New evidence across Oklahoma counties, Energy Economics, 2021, 97, 105223, ISSN 0140-9883, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105223. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140988321001286)
Fracking & mortality in the frail & elderly
Li,L et al. Exposure to unconventional oil and gas development and all-cause mortality in Medicare beneficiaries. Nat Energy 2022, 7, 177–185
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-021-00970-y
Here is another interesting article re “toxic & dangerous” . Atmospheric benzenoid emissions from plants rival those from fossil fuels. It is Open Source- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4499884/pdf/srep12064.pdf
Thanks Nick,
I agree that this is an interesting paper certainly, but unlike fracking, this study makes no direct epidemiological association with observed adverse health impacts ?
Frank , Well, the epidemiology was not the focus of the paper, but as you are aware some phytochemicals are toxic-and humans are exposed to them, at close quarters. So I think it fair to expect that the epidemiology will be similar to what I have heard you say publicly that there should be zero tolerance of, e.g. benzene etc.. From the paper these are listed from laboratory experiments- “Having observed significant amounts of aromatic compounds, including toluene, benzene, benzaldehyde, salicylic aldehyde, eugenol, estragole and indole, being emitted by a wide range of plants in controlled environment laboratory experiments, we now look for evidence of biogenic benzenoid emissions from field observations.”
Thanks Nick,
I do hope that the numerous peer-reviewed references indicating the potential adverse health impacts of fracking have been helpful. I notice that you have still not answered my earlier question as to whether you would elect to live very close to an active fracking site ?
Are you suggesting that living very close to an active fracking site would be beneficial for your health or the health of your family ?
Frank- thanks for you list of references on health impacts. I have lived within 300m of a working coal mine (Peckfield 1 colliery at Mickelfield) , so a fracking rig 300m from my house I would be quite happy with.
Nick
Many would find your happiness difficult to believe Nick.
Not just a fracking rig: but fracking induced earthquakes, and active fracking with numerous diesel compressors, numerous HGV lorry visits generating PM 2.5 etc, etc.
I would be most concerned for your health.
Frank, I now live in an agricultural area. The size of farm machinery is huge- & diesel powered & shakes my house. The fields have monocultures of plants that probably emit harmful phytochemicals & particulates. I am in sight of a horizontally drilled oil well which is sited within a local village. I took the BBC there. They were not interested in covering it on the news item. Which suggests the news is skewed about things that hold the viewer’s (or listener’s) attention. Do you ever walk near bracken? It contains cyanide, & its spores are carcinogenic.
Nick, when you elect to happily move very close to an active fracking-site, you must also consider the health and safety of your spouse, children and/or grand-children (references above)
In Lancashire, you should also consider property blight, particularly if the fracking site elects to move close to you.
Nick, of course I am aware of bracken. Those of us who may at least have published one paper on plant toxicity will not require your further instruction. But do please consider your family when you happily move close to active fracking.