Water contamination and fracking
Award winning Sussex and Amazon based environmentalist Nicola Peel writes about fracking, water pollution and action we can take to protect our water supply…..
I read that “Water UK has found that potential risks to water from fracking can be avoided with the right rules and regulations in place”. So Water UK can prevent cement from ever cracking? If so well they need to communicate with the companies in the USA and Australia that are having terrible problems.
Mark Boling, executive vice president and general counsel of Southwestern Energy Co., a major natural-gas producer, said he has examined several incidents in Colorado and Pennsylvania where gas drilling appears to have caused gas to get into drinking water. “Every one we identified was caused by a failure of the integrity of the well, and almost always it was the cement job,” he said.
So how can Water UK guarantee that it won’t happen here? If we are to learn from others mistakes it seems impossible that there will be no accidents here in the UK. No one can stop the Earth moving and cement always cracks over time, the question is how soon?
The Environmental Assessment Report of Deepwater Horizon was ‘No Risk’. We all know what happened there. Are you wishing to play Russian roulette with the peoples water for profit for an already small elite.
This short term ‘solution’ does nothing to put into place long term solutions like natural energy. The sun will not be going out any time soon. Investing in short term fossil fuels can only end in tears.
I come from the South of England (near Balcombe and Wisborough Green test drilling sites) where we have regular water shortages and are left with hosepipe bans. How can this industry warrant using clean water for a dirty job and leave the people unable to water their vegetable garden?
I would imagine Water UK are being funded by those in the industry to produce such poorly thought out analysis.
Surely any potential risk to water needs to be treated as high risk. For such a short term gain is the potential long term loss really worth it?
It appears the public safety is not the top concern.
Nicola Peel
www.eyesofgaia.com
You might say….but what can I do?
Please write to West Sussex County Council and tell them to refuse permission for Celtique to explore for oil and gas in Wisborough Green and other sites around the county. If hundreds of us raise our objections, the council will have to consider them – we hope they will see sense and turn down the application.
This page tells you how to lodge your objection to drilling applications. You could also write to The Rt Hon George Osborne MP at and express your concern.
Here are two documentaries which are essential viewing on this subject – Gasland and Gasland 2 by Josh Fox, more information here.
Other articles about fracking can be found in the Green Blog or you can search using the “Search” box in the right margin of the site.
We want you, the people of Sussex, to take some ownership of www.sussexgreenliving.co.uk. Forward your suggestions for events, videos, parks and green spaces etc to be added to “your” site.