Government Fracking Report

[mb1]

Back in August Hertfordshire County Council announced there would be no fracking of shale gas in Hertfordshire because the geology isn't right. The Comet newspaper has published a map of SEA 3, one of the areas the government says can be explored with deep drilling, although there is no certainty fracking will occur. You can see it here:

http://www.thecomet.net/news/fears_over ... _1_2359615

It doesn't come as far south as Ware, but does cover Standon, Little Hadham and almost Much Hadham - all in north Herts but close to us. There is a big government report which I have miserably failed to find on the DECC website.

My concerns about this relate to the water table. areas in Texas which have seen a lot of fracking have seen very large drops in the water table, which in an area which is already often short of water in Summer is not a bright thing to encourage. there is also potential contamination of ground water from the use of chemicals and explosives in the drilling and fracking process, again in an area with a lot of farming and with frequent wate shortages, not very bright. But, if it can be done safely, I'm not necessarily against it, I would just want to know a lot more.

[Cod]

Looking at this BBCi News report it would seem that our area is not particularly good for fracking:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25424687

[mb1]

I think that is right, and the maps the government published do tend to indicate that, but there is an intention to allow test drilling in the area I mentioned, so they must think there is a possibility. If they stick a big test well at much Hadham I wonder what our MP will have to say about things.