Protesters climbed the exterior of Blackpool tower and hung two massive 500ft banners declaring ‘fracking is coming to the UK – we can stop it! ‘to highlight the problems of a dangerous new mining process that is being tested on UK soil. The climbers are part of a group who have just launched a direct action anti-fracking campaign committed to stopping the process. Fracking is associated with poisoned water supplies, earthquakes, leaking gas and even radioactive contamination, along with irreversible environmental destruction.
Hydraulic Fracturing (or ‘fracking’) is a method used to free otherwise inaccessible gas trapped in rock. Wells are drilled and fluid consisting of millions of gallons of water, sand and a toxic cocktail of patented chemicals is injected into the rock under high pressure to crack it. Some of these chemicals are known carcinogens. This fluid also leaches radioactive elements and toxic chemicals like arsenic out of the rocks making eventual disposal of the fluid a major problem.
Blackpool is set to be the site of the first fracking test well in the UK. Cuadrilla Resources, a shale gas exploration company, have been forced to temporarily suspend their exploratory test site at Preese Hall test well following the outcry by local residents over two earthquakes in the vicinity caused by the fracking, but have in the meantime drilled another well and are presently moving their drilling rig to a third site in the area.
- For more information and to get involved check the website: http://www.frack-off.org/
Article originally appeared in Freedom #7216
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