Speakers
Dr Michael Warhurst, Director of CHEM Trust, Graham Warren (Chair, CPRE Environment Commitee) and Dr Jill Sutcliffe (Medact) will be the keynote speakers, followed by discusssion.
Tickets
You do not need a ticket for this event, but please help us to estimate likely attendance numbers by ordering a free ticket wherever possible. Please invite your family and friends too.
MEDACT Report: Health and Fracking - The Impacts and Opportunity Costs
The UK government is currently set on a course to expand hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for shale gas. This is despite the growing evidence about the significant risks that fracking poses to public health and the environment. West Sussex is a key area for shale oil and has faced a number of applications for exploratory drilling.
Medact has recently published a report on health and fracking, which examines whether it can be conducted safely and whether it can provide a source of clean fuel for energy. The report, draws on scientific peer reviewed studies and concludes that the arguments in favour of fracking do not stand up to close scrutiny. It calls for a moratorium while a full health impact assessment is undertaken. This is in line with the approach taken elsewhere
The report states that the precise level of risk to human health cannot be calculated. It emphasises that intensive levels of fracking activity could pose greater risks in the UK when compared to experiences elsewhere because of the proximity and size of surrounding populations.
In New York State, following a review by the State Department of Health, fracking has been banned due to the “significant health risks”. Fracking has already been suspended in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, Bulgaria and the Netherlands owing to the high risks.
In addition, the health charity Breast Cancer UK has concerns about the potentially adverse health effects of increased exposure to harmful chemicals that may result from fracking.