Fracking given green light by UK report

The controversial practice of fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, has been given a boost by a new report published today by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The report concludes that fracking should continue at the Preese Hall site in the UK, where work was halted last year after seismic activity and complaints from residents, but with measures to reduce future earthquakes.

The report by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering was commissioned by the government after fracking related earthquakes last year. It also suggests that assessments should be carried out before any new fracking sites are started, to establish the likelihood of earthquakes. However, with strong regulation the report concludes that health, safety and environmental risks can be managed.

The report also found that fracking was an unlikely source of water contamination, echoing a report from the University of Texas, Austin, US, from earlier this year.