Shale gas regulation in the UK and health implications of fracking
2014; Elsevier BV; Volume: 383; Issue: 9936 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s0140-6736(14)60888-6
ISSN1474-547X
Autores Tópico(s)Heme Oxygenase-1 and Carbon Monoxide
ResumoI have some serious concerns with Sari Kovats and colleagues' Comment (March 1, p 757),1Kovats S Depledge M Haines A et al.The health implications of fracking.Lancet. 2014; 383: 757-758Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (55) Google Scholar as I feel it is misleading (albeit unintentionally). Although the UK Government has indeed stated that it accepts the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering Working Group's recommendations on shale gas extraction,2Royal SocietyRoyal Academy of EngineeringShale gas extraction in the UK: a review of hydraulic fracturing, June 2012. Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering, London2012Google Scholar the reality is that only one of these recommendations has been implemented in full; one out of ten in 2 years. Other recommendations have been ignored or the opposite has been put in place.3Hill M Brief review of the Royal Society/Royal Academy of Engineering report and the present position of shale gas regulation.http://www.shalegasoffice.co.uk/downloads/all/d5776aee1401797912.pdfDate: November, 2013Google Scholar I urged the Government to at least comment on the report by its own scientific adviser.4MacKay DJC Stone TJ Potential greenhouse gas emissions associated with shale gas extraction and use.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/237330/MacKay_Stone_shale_study_report_09092013.pdfDate: September, 2013Google Scholar Although the Government has now stated it accepts all of the recommendations, the reality on the ground does not follow the theories in the Department of Energy and Climate Change.5Department of Energy and Climate ChangeThe Government's response to the MacKay-Stone report.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/305811/140424_MacKay_Stone_Response_.pdfGoogle Scholar Kovats and colleagues' Comment1Kovats S Depledge M Haines A et al.The health implications of fracking.Lancet. 2014; 383: 757-758Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (55) Google Scholar relies too heavily on what should be done and what might be important. It confuses best practices with actual realities. We need to start informing regulators and industry with what is important and what must be done to ensure the risks are managed and are as low as reasonably practicable. This is presently not the case. While fracking in the UK might be in its infancy, in the USA there are more than 1 million wells fracked and a large amount of data before, during, and after fracking has been collected. Recent studies from the USA have suggested an increased risk of adverse health events (such as congenital heart defects and low Apgar scores) in individuals living close to natural gas development (within a radius of 10 miles).6McKenzie LM Guo R Witter RZ Savitz DA Newman LS Adgate JL Birth outcomes and maternal residential proximity to natural gas development in rural Colorado.Environ Health Perspect. 2014; 122: 412-417Crossref PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar, 7McKenzie LM Witter RZ Newman LS Adgate JL Human health risk assessment of air emmissions from development of unconventional natural gas resources.Sci Total Environ. 2012; 424: 79-87Crossref PubMed Scopus (440) Google Scholar These preliminary findings need to be replicated and explored further in large prospective studies; it may be irresponsible to consider any further fracking in the UK (exploratory or otherwise) until these prospective studies have been completed and the health impacts of fracking have been determined. Fracking has already happened in the UK and is due to resume later this year (four wells in Roseacre and four in Little Plumpton on the Fylde coast) in close proximity to large urban populations. This approach will use about 22 million L of fracking fluid per well and will leave underground (free to migrate) about 88 million L of fracking waste containing lead, arsenic, cadmium, and other materials at much higher concentrations than those found in drinking water.8Environment AgencyShale Gas North West—monitoring of flowback water.http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20131223234446/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/6th_Dec_-_Shale_gas_-_North_West_-_Monitoring_of_flowback_water_-_update_%283%29.pdfDate: Dec 6, 2011Google Scholar This is the case even when no chemicals are added at the surface. The effects of truck movements, flaring, fracking waste treatment, compressors, noise pollution, generators, wireline logging, drilling, etc, should not be ignored. The need for specific regulations coupled with strict enforcement through an independent, competent body is clear. But no such body exists, and no such efficient regulations are forthcoming. The existing regulators are being scrapped—restructured (Offshore Safety Division) or downsized (Environment Agency to lose 15% of its staff within 18 months)—while any new shale regulations are being fiercely opposed by the UK Government. They choose to legislate to make fracking easier for the operators, but fail to make it safer for the public. Kovats and colleagues' Comment1Kovats S Depledge M Haines A et al.The health implications of fracking.Lancet. 2014; 383: 757-758Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (55) Google Scholar was misleading because it gives the impression that the industry is regulated and the Government has things under control—it isn't and they don't. The reality of shale gas regulation in the UK is far from the best practice alluded to in the Comment1Kovats S Depledge M Haines A et al.The health implications of fracking.Lancet. 2014; 383: 757-758Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (55) Google Scholar and far from that needed to protect the public and environment in a densely populated country such as the UK. This online publication has been corrected. The corrected version first appeared at thelancet.com on February 27, 2015 This online publication has been corrected. The corrected version first appeared at thelancet.com on February 27, 2015 I am a nominated expert to the Technical Working Group on the Best Available Techniques Reference for Management of Tailings and Waste Rock under the Joint Research Council for the EU Commission. The health implications of frackingWhat is known about the health effects of gas extraction by induced hydraulic fracturing of gas-bearing rock—ie, fracking? A workshop held on Nov 15, 2013, at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and attended by scientists, public health professionals, and decision makers addressed this question. Full-Text PDF Department of ErrorHill M. Shale gas regulation in the UK and health implications of fracking. Lancet 2014; 383: 2211–12—In this Correspondence (June 28) the disclosure of interests should have read: "I am a nominated expert to the Technical Working Group on the Best Available Techniques Reference for Management of Tailings and Waste Rock under the Joint Research Council for the EU Commission." This correction has been made to the online version as of Feb 27, 2015. Full-Text PDF
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