What's the Fracking idea?

"Hydraulic Fracturing is a method used to extract natural gas from shale rock formations in which it is trapped. Engineers drill a hole deep into the rock where the gas is trapped, and then inject a mixture of sand, water and chemicals into the hole at an extremely high pressure.This causes the rock to split, releasing the gas into the well so that it can be brought up to the surface.The natural gas, which is produced and trapped in rock formations following the breakdown of organic matter, is in such high demand it is known as "energy gold". Britain has sizeable resources of shale gas underneath the Pennines, some of the home counties and parts of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, meaning it could be a cheaper alternative to importing fossil fuels.
One major report earlier this year found that the risk of water sources being contaminated was no higher with fracking than other drilling processes, and that most pollution was due to mistakes made at ground level such as spillage of waste water.
But another study recently claimed that emissions released into the atmosphere during the process could cause headaches and breathing problems in people living up to half a mile away.
The Blackpool earthquake was the first direct evidence of fracking causing seismic activity, but the report's authors argue there is only a minimal risk of a tremor big enough to damage any buildings or people"

Great. This danergous form of energy is being done practically on my front door step. Luckily, my household gets water from thr River Dee. There is a collection of people in Blackpool who are completley against this movement as they have 'evaulated' all the risks.

The concerns listed HERE are;

• Lack of regulations – this is a self-regulating industry.
• Substantial health risks from air and water pollution.
• There is a huge risk to the environment, particularly through chemical spills.
• Contamination of the aquifer through poor well design – no independent agency is checking well integrity.
• Very large radioactive sources are used during wireline logging, compromising public health. Security is also an issue should these sources fall into the hands of criminals or terrorists.
• There will be an increase in traffic with 500 trucks per well and up to 800 wells across the Fylde and nearby areas – that’s a lot of trucks on our roads.
• The process uses vast amounts of water – millions of gallons per well. The water will be supplied by United Utilities and will be fresh drinking water.
• Up to 40% of water used comes back up the well as contaminated fracking sludge. It contains chemicals, heavy metals and naturally occuring radon. This contaminated sludge hasn’t, as yet, got a permit from the EA to be transported to a treatment facility. Where will it go to be treated? There will be hundreds of trucks on our roads carrying this sludge – what if there is an accident?
• We have already had two notable earthquakes and numerous small ones, which Cuadrilla addmitted have been linked to fracking at Preece Hall. What more is to come?
• There is a very real risk of substantial land subsidence. The Fylde is a low lying area – there could eventually be up to 2,400 miles of horizontal shafts below the surface, posing a real threat of substantial slippage.
• The Fylde will be turned into an industrial zone and will have a negative knock-on effect on our main industry – tourism

Image from BBC.co.uk