Scientist duo say raising fracking tremor limit would be "safe"

Fracking company Cuadrilla has welcomed reports from two scientists that suggest increasing the tremor limit at drill sites could be done safely.
Cuadrilla's fracking equipment at the Preston New Road siteCuadrilla's fracking equipment at the Preston New Road site
Cuadrilla's fracking equipment at the Preston New Road site

The firm is currently assessing the results of its fracking at Preston New Road site near Blackpool which triggered 57 small tremors before Christmas, some above the 0.5ML safety limit at which fracking has to be paused for 18 hours.

Now Dr Ben Edwards, of Liverpool University, who worked on a recent report suggesting 1.5ML tremors were the same level as dropping a melon, and British Geological Survey scientist Dr Brian Baptie, who contributed to the report on Cuadrilla's Preese Hall fracking in 2011 which caused two larger tremors, and led to the recommendation of the 0.5ML limit, have now said that the limit could be raised safely to 1.5ML, which "was unlikely to be felt".

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They were speaking at a press briefing and their comments have been welcomed by the shale gas industry which is lobbying for the Government to raise the limit to make fracking easier. Energy minister Claire Perry has previously said there are no plans to relax the rules.

Dr Baptie said the so-called traffic light safety limit could be raised to 1.5ML: "Existing regulations are quite conservative and are set at a level that is unlikely to be felt. Something like 1.5 is a level that is not going to be felt widely by people."

Dr Edwards said: "1.5 would still be a conservative level."

A Cuadrilla spokesman said today: "We were pleased to hear this. We have collected an extensive data set from our operations at the shale gas exploration site in Preston New Road, Blackpool, including the most comprehensive micro-seismic data set ever collected at a shale site.

"This is the only existing data set of its kind in the UK and we have shared this with the relevant regulators and experts to enable further understanding of how best to safely and effectively progress this important industry."

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But opponents of fracking, who believe it could cause pollution and damaging tremors, have blasted the scientists' comments and said the real issue is the damage underground.

A spokesman for Frack Free Lancashire said: "It seems to have taken the industry spin doctors longer than expected to find a couple of academics prepared to make their case for them. However, both of these researchers still appear to be inexplicably fixated on whether a tremor can be felt at surface.

“The Traffic Light System was devised, in conjunction with Cuadrilla themselves, to protect the public from the potential subsurface impacts of fracking. It is based on an acceptance that the seismic events (which fracking appears to inevitably unleash in the UK) cannot be constrained by turning off a tap, and that they may get progressively more frequent and larger after the warning level is exceeded and work is stopped.

“The government and local Conservative MP, Mark Menzies, have already stated their opposition to increasing the TLS limits. Claire Perry – the energy minister - stated that is would be a “foolish politician who would do things that would be considered to be relaxing regulatory standards when we are trying to reassure people about safety.”

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“If the government were seen to be caving in to industry lobbying after they have so clearly demonstrated that they are unable to control the seismic activity caused by their operations, we will consider seeking a legal challenge.”