Fracking caused daily earthquakes at UK’s only active site
Fracking caused an earthquake every day at the UK’s only active site at Preston New Road in Lancashire, analysis has found.
Between 2018 and 2019, the site near Blackpool was responsible for 192 earthquakes over the course of 182 days , according to analysis of House of Commons Library data by the Liberal Democrats.
Fracking activity took place for six months, in two separate three-month stints, during that period.
On Wednesday, the government could face a rebellion from Conservative MPs after the Labour party forced a parliamentary debate on the controversial energy extraction method.
There are understood to be at least 40 Tories who are vocally against fracking, and the Guardian understands a letter, signed by dozens saying they could not support fracking, has been delivered to the business and energy secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The Liberal Democrat MP and climate crisis spokesperson, Wera Hobhouse, said: “This is the latest evidence that the Conservative government’s ideological pursuit of fracking is a non-starter. Why are the government so obsessed with dirty, expensive and divisive fracking, when renewables are cheap and popular?
“Frittering away money on fracking our countryside for more expensive gas will not help our energy security or the cost of living crisis. The government should listen to local communities and take steps to actually cut bills: through more wind and solar power. It is an open goal for this country, the only ones stopping us from scoring it are the Conservatives.”
Labour and the Liberal Democrats are hoping to use fracking as a wedge issue to drive wavering voters away from the Conservatives.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he will not give MPs a vote on the overturning of the ban on fracking, which is why Labour called the debate. MPs will be making the point that the government should give a free vote on the issue.
Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow climate secretary, said: “Today Conservative MPs have a simple choice; do they break the manifesto commitments they made to their constituents and allow the government to impose expensive, unsafe fracking on communities that do not want it, or will they support Labour’s ban on fracking
once and for all.
“Every Conservative MP who opposes fracking must now put country over party and support Labour’s ban on fracking.”
Many of the sites that could be viable for fracking are in swing seats held by Conservative MPs in the “red wall”, which Labour hopes to win back.
Lib Dem sources pointed out that fracking could also be considered in the “blue wall” in southern England, in the seats they hope to win.
Rees-Mogg has not indicated a Uturn on the lifting of the moratorium on fracking, and has said he would be enthusiastic for shale gas to be extracted in his back garden. He did, however, share in the Guardian last week his belief that oil and gas need to be phased out and that renewables are the future.