Forbes: The Ridiculous UK Limits On Fracking Caused Earthquakes

We’ve a report out today stating that people fracking for natural gas should be allowed to cause larger earthquakes than the current regulations permit. This is so obviously true that it’s difficult to see why a report is even necessary to point this out. But that’s the way UK energy policy is being decided these days. For the current limitation is so low that it is quite, quite, ridiculous. Almost as if the rule was put in place to make absolutely certain that fracking does not in fact take place. And, if we were to become conspiratorial about this, there’s a reason we could uncover for that as well.

Here’s the report itself: Fracking firms must be allowed to cause far more significant earth tremors if the Government wants the shale gas industry to succeed, leading academics have warned.

Current regulations, imposed two years ago, are equivalent to banning buses from driving past houses or prohibiting the slamming of wooden doors, according to Dr Rob Westaway and Professor Paul Younger, of the University of Glasgow’s School of Engineering.
MORE