Stop Fracking in Lancashire

Parts of Lancashire's beautiful and ecologically sensitive Blackpool region are under threat of being devastated by mining operations to extract natural gas using a controversial technique called hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking'.

During fracking millions of litres of water, sand and numerous chemicals most of which are toxic, carcinogic as well as teratogenic (they include benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), diesel fuel, naphthalene (moth ball) compounds, boric acid, arsenic, poly nuclear organic hydrocarbons, only to name a few of 500-odd chemicals used), are pumped into boreholes at high pressure to release natural gas (called shale gas) trapped in layers of underground rock.

In the USA, where fracking has been used extensively, there have been hundreds of documented cases of this process resulting in:

- catastrophic drinking water pollution;

- air pollution;

- health concerns for humans and animals; and

- general environmental degradation.

Right now, Cuadrilla Resources are exploring for natural gas exploration by fracking at sites in Weeton, Singleton, and Westby, near Kirkham and Blackpool. Most of the area under threat is already extremely water-stressed and can not afford any water to be either wasted or contaminated by the fracking process which, once in full production, may involve inumerous boreholes and millions of litres of water.

There is a growing groundswell of opposition to the use of fracking in United Kingdom by a broad coalition of farmers, environmental organisations and ordinary citizens.

If you are concerned about the likely environmental and health impacts of natural gas exploitation in our country, please join us in adding your name to the following petition.

Find out more about fracking here:

Gasland - an Oscar-nominated documentary about fracking in the USA

Climate Benefits of Natural Gas may be overstated