It has been a good week for proponents of hydraulic fracturing. First the United Kingdom's Energy and Climate Committee confirmed that hydraulic fracturing for natural gas did not pose a significant threat to the safety of fresh water aquifers.
We conclude that hydraulic fracturing itself does not pose a direct risk to water aquifers, provided that the well-casing is intact before this commences. Rather, any risks that do arise are related to the integrity of the well, and are no different to issues encountered when exploring for hydrocarbons in conventional geological formations. We recommend that the Health and Safety Executive test the integrity of wells before allowing the licensing of drilling activity.
Mitigation of the risk to water aquifers from hydraulic fracturing relies on companies undertaking the proper measures to protect the environment from pollution. However, there is no evidence that the hydraulic fracturing process itself poses a direct risk to underground water aquifers. That hypothetical and unproven risk must be balanced against the energy security benefits that shale gas could provide to the UK. We conclude that, on balance, a moratorium in the UK is not justified or necessary at present. But evidence must continue to be collected and assessed. We recommend that the Department of Energy and Climate Change monitor current drilling activity in the Bowland Shale formation extremely closely during its early stages in order both to assess the likely environmental impact of large scale shale gas extraction in the UK and also to promote public confidence in the regulation of the activity.
This is a remarkable assertion. Particularly if you have been following the plight of shale gas drilling in the Northeast, where "hydrofracking" has been blamed for everything from polluting the food supply, to contaminating pristine fresh water aquifers, to subjugating the community to a permanent recession. It truly is the energy resource that despoils everything it comes in contact with.
If only the facts didn't get in the way!
Yesterday, Energy in Depth, noted the response of EPA Administrator Sheila Jackson to a question posed regarding hydraulic fracturing:
Her response speaks for itself, "I am not aware of any proven case where the fracking process has affected water, although there are investigations ongoing.
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public works welcomed the statement. Stating:
"I have great respect for Lisa Jackson and I always appreciate her honesty. Although we disagree on most issues, when you ask her a question she gives you an honest answer. Over the past two years, I have asked various Obama Administration officials if they know of a single confirmed case of groundwater contamination from these fracked formations and every time the answer is no. Lisa Jackson's statement today that she does not know of any proven case of water contamination further demonstrates that States are regulating hydraulic fracturing effectively and efficiently, and there is no need for the federal government to step in."
This episode of events has been picked up by HotAir and Instapundit. The question, though is will it be picked up by the New York Department of Environmental Protection? The final SGEIS report is due out this summer and it will be telling when they finally reveal their thoughts. Will politics trump science again, as I suspect, or are the professionals of the DEP truly professional and able to put scientific rigor above political correctness?
Time will tell?
Update: Great minds think alike? South of 5 and 20 has similar thoughts!
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