Fracking halted in England - a moratorium but not a complete ban
30 October 2019
In a surprise announncement which some commentators suspect may not be unconnected with the imminent general election, the UK government has imposed a moratorium on fracking for shale gas in England, citing an Oil and Gas Authority report published 2 November which concludes that it is not possible with current technology to accurately predict the probability of tremors associated with fracking. Fracking activity was halted at Cuadrilla's Lancashire site after a tremor over three times the Government-prescribed limit occurred on 22 August 2019.
Similar pertial or complete fracking bans are already in effect in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Jillian Ambrose wrote in The Guardian of 2 November
"The government has halted fracking in England with immediate effect in a watershed moment for environmentalists and community activists.
"Ministers also warned shale gas companies it would not support future fracking projects, in a crushing blow to companies that had been hoping to capitalise on one of the new frontiers of growth in the fossil fuel industry.
"The decision draws a line under years of bitter opposition to the controversial extraction process in a major victory for green groups and local communities."
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