Citizens Manifesto
8.3 Ban operations using hydraulic fracturing in the exploration and exploitation of shale gas and tight oil All operations which use hydraulic fracturing in the exploration and exploitation of shale gas and tight oil should be banned. votes Further information: A) Shale gas and shale oil consist of hydrocarbons which are trapped in the pores of the source rock, an impermeable rock, and their extraction requires hydraulic
fracturing techniques. These involve pumping underground at pressure reaching 1,200 atm, millions of litres of water, mixed with a toxic mix of chemicals, includ-
ing known carcinogens. The exploitation of shale gas through hydraulic fracturing
is done to the detriment of not only other renewable energy sources but at the
expense of local communities, who are often not informed about such operations, with potential environmental impact.
B) A number of countries in the EU have decide to pursue shale gas extraction, includ-
ing Poland and England, while countries such as France and Bulgaria have banned
it and others like The Netherlands, Ireland and Northern Ireland are still assessing
the impact of hydraulic fracturing. According to a public consultation made by the
European Commission53, after the responses were weighted to reflect EU Member
States’ population, 64% of EU citizens think that shale gas should not be devel-
oped in Europe at all, with or without further regulation. Furthermore, dozens,
if not hundreds of municipalities and regions across Europe have declared themselves frack free areas.
C) Hydraulic fracturing is a concern which has not been adequately addressed. The European Parliament Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
issued a study of fracking in June 2011 and pointed out numerous gaps in the
53 http://goodenergiesalliance.com/2013/06/15/64-of-eu-citizens-against-development-of-shale-gas/
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