Stand with Lancashire | Friends of the Earth

Earthquakes in Lancashire

57 earthquakes were detected in Lancashire in 2018 during a two-month period when Cuadrilla was fracking in the county at Preston New Road.

Cuadrilla actually stopped fracking 5 times because it had triggered earthquakes bigger than the rules allow.

The fracking industry is now complaining that the rules are too strict and that the government should allow fracking to trigger bigger earthquakes. That's the same industry that's been lauding the UK's so-called gold-standard fracking regulations.

Why people in Lancashire are against fracking

Fracking contributes to climate change. It is a risky new way of extracting dirty energy. It has been halted or banned in many places around the world including New York State, the Netherlands, Scotland and Wales – because of the risks to people and the environment.

Here you can find out more about fracking - and how to help stop it being forced on the people of Lancashire.

Broad opposition to fracking

For the past 6 years Lancashire residents and others have led a remarkable campaign to protect their communities from fracking. Local businesses, health groups, trade unions and others have joined them.

Lancashire county councillors listened to the concerns of local people and in 2015 overwhelmingly voted to reject fracking. It's thanks to the extraordinary efforts of people in Lancashire and across the UK that there has been no fracking in the UK since fracking company Cuadrilla’s failed attempt 6 years ago.

But in 2016 the Westminster government overturned Lancashire’s democratic decision to say “no” to fracking. And now the government has given the final go-ahead for fracking in Lancashire. Cuadrilla intends to start fracking soon.

The government also wants to drastically rewrite planning rules, which could open the floodgates for fracking companies to drill up and down the country. Please sign the petition today to tell the government not to trample on local democracy.

300+

anti-fracking groups are resisting shale gas in the UK

186,685

people told David Cameron not to overturn Lancashire County Council's decision to reject fracking

74%

of people support renewable energy options — more than four times as many as support fracking

earthquakes were detected in Lancashire during the 2 months Cuadrilla was fracking in 2018.

jobs would be created from Cuadrilla’s proposed exploration site at Preston New Road

24,000

jobs could be created from investing in clean energy and energy efficiency in the North West

Fracking and climate change

“You can be in favour of fixing the climate. Or you can be in favour of exploiting shale gas. But you can’t be in favour of both at the same time.”

— John Ashton, former Special Representative for Climate Change for three successive UK Foreign Secretaries

Health and fracking

“I asked myself: 'Would I let my family live in a community with fracking?' The answer is no. I therefore cannot recommend anyone else's family to live in such a community either."

- Commissioner of Health for New York State, Dr Howard Zucker

John's story

John's Nursery is on a neighbouring property to the Preston New Road fracking site.

"We've got enough clean energy alternatives, that will provide a whole lot more jobs than what this shale gas nonsense will ever do.The opposition is seen more across the country. I am feeling optimistic that it will be stopped once people realise that it's going to affect them, their families, their children, their environment."

Anne's story

“My anger is brimming over every day and I can’t sit at home and do nothing... got to get out and make a show somehow. There is such loveliness in the world, there’s beauty in nature. It’s all part of living with nature and enjoying it and not trespassing on it, valuing it and valuing each other.”

— Anne Power

What is fracking?

Fracking is the process of extracting gas or oil that is trapped inside rocks and won’t flow freely on its own.

To get the gas and oil out the rock has to be fractured. A mixture of water, sand and chemicals is pumped down a well at high pressure. This fractures the rock and when the pressure is released, the gas or oil flows back up the well.

This is known as hydraulic fracturing - or fracking for short.

What are the public saying about fracking?

The government said it would listen to people on fracking, but it hasn’t.

A recent government survey shows that less than 20% of the public support shale gas, while support for renewables has been consistently high at 75-80% since the survey began in 2012.

186,685 people signed a petition to then Prime Minister, David Cameron, asking the government to respect Lancashire’s democratic decision to say “no” to fracking.

Yet the government has handed out more than 200 licenses to companies to frack. A change in the law in 2015 means this could include land underneath people’s homes.

But wherever it is proposed, Friends of the Earth groups and local Frack Free groups have sprung up to protect their communities and to resist this risky fossil fuel industry being forced upon them.

More facts about fracking