16 November 2014
Below Green Party Councillor on Lancashire County Council, Gina Dowding, gives her view on the health risks of fracking.
1. Climate Change - The greatest threat to future wellbeing is climate change. It is now recognised that 70 per cent of known fossil fuels need to stay in the ground if we are to avoid more than two degrees of global warming.
2. Air Quality - Venting and incomplete flaring of shale gas will lead to the release of benzenes and other known carcinogens. In the US fugitive gas levels around sites have been found to be up to 100 times more than predicted.
3. Water Pollution - The risk of well leaks is a chronic problem; studies state that half of wells leak within 15 years, leaving a potential toxic legacy that may irreversibly damage underground water supplies.
4. Flowback Fluid - The flowback fluid produced by the process contains toxic chemicals, heavy metals and radioactive materials. There are concerns about sufficient capacity to treat this hazardous waste
5. Chemicals - The chemicals used in the Fracking process in the US have been linked to cancers and low birth weight in infants.
6. Transport Related Accidents - Site visits undertaken in Lancashire show that HGVs with large loads e.g. 40ft trailers for office space and work space would have difficulty safely negotiating the narrow rural roads in proximity to the project sites.
7. Noise - Drilling is planned 24 hours a day, including nighttime; it is expected that the noise levels will be continuous for at least 14 months.
8. Occupational Health Risks - There are no specific occupational health standards for onshore oil and gas extraction; risks due to cumulative exposure to silica dust, noise and air pollution are not yet fully known.
9. Emergencies - Although emergency planning is a requirement for this type of development, this process has not been ‘visible’ to residents.
10. Inadequate Regulation - Lancashire’s Health Impact Assessment report acknowledges that the current regulations in place in the UK which are there to protect the public’s health are inadequate to properly regulate the fracking industry.
The full article can be seen here
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) assessment of the risks is available here:
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