Fracking ban in England lifted

30 September 2022

The UK Government has lifted the ban on Fracking in England which has been in force since 2019.  The ban was imposed after earthquakes at potential fracking sites in Lancashire, on the grounds that there was inadequate scientific and technical knowledge about its effects.

However, in response to a Government request for a review of new scientific evidence from 2019 to the present, the British Geoogical Survey concluded in a report submitted in July that

"forecasting the occurrence of large earthquakes and their expected magnitude is complex and remains a scientific challenge. As a result, our ability to evaluate and mitigate risks from hydraulic fracturing-induced seismicity and predict the occurrence of larger earthquakes during hydraulic fracturing operations is also a challenge".

In other words, scientific evidence which would justify the lifting of the fracking ban does not exist.

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