UK Promotes Transparency, Publishes Material About Groundwater

The United Kingdom is trying to increase transparency in the shale gas debate, publishing some material about the relationship between groundwater and fracking in the country. 

‘The British Geological Survey (BGS) in partnership with the Environment Agency (EA) have today, for the first time, published a series of maps which show the depth to each shale gas and oil source rock below principal groundwater aquifers in England and Wales. Understanding the distance between the two is important when assessing the environmental risks of shale gas and oil exploitation,’ reads the note released on Wednesday. 

If the note is nothing particularly new for experts, it proves that British authorities are trying to give answers to the questions posed by the public and local communities.

“We have strong regulatory controls in place to protect groundwater, and will not permit activity that threatens groundwater and drinking water supplies. These maps will help public understanding of the separation between groundwater and potential shale gas sites,” Alwyn Hart, Head of the air, land and water research team at the Environment Agency, commented.

In particular, BGS and EA wrote that important potential target for shale gas development in the Bowland basin is ‘generally (92%) at least 800 m below the Principal Aquifers actively used as a source of drinking water.’