Anti-Fracking Organising in the North-west

‘Fracking’ is the commonly used term for hydraulic fracturing, or shale gas extraction. It is a method of extracting pockets of gas from deep underground by drilling into rock, then cracking it open through the injection of pressurised fluid and sand. Fracking – along with extraction of oil from tar sands, deep water oil drilling and coal mining via mountaintop removal – is a controversial and carbon-intensive means of accessing fossil fuels. Millions of gallons of water, plus toxic chemicals, are used to release shale gas. Contamination of the water table with the fracking chemicals, or with chemicals leached from the fracked rock, is a major concern. Accidental release of methane (flammable and a major greenhouse gas) into air and water has been reported. Minor earthquakes have occurred during exploratory drilling in the Blackpool area. 

France and parts of the US, Canada and Switzerland have banned shale gas extraction. In Britain, the campaign group ‘Frack Off’ has been active against fracking and other extreme forms of energy extraction. Grassroots resistance is growing, as the following piece by Pam Foster of Residents’ Action on Fylde Fracking (RAFF) shows.

Shale gas extraction crept under the radar for most in the UK’s north-west. By the time we found out about it, Lancashire County Council had already given planning permission to drilling company Cuadrilla Resources for the exploratory process to begin. We discovered that five sites were to be explored immediately, and that Cuadrilla was talking about the possibility of drilling up to 842 wells in a small, but heavily populated, area of Lancashire.

The Fylde is a conservative area, both politically and socially, with a higher than average number of retired people. Initial reactions were largely apathetic and those who did have an opinion were mostly welcoming. What was there not to like? “We’ll get cheap gas”, “we’ll become another Aberdeen”, “my house will double in value”. These views were backed up by Government reassurances to the area’s residents that this would provide cheap fuel, independence from gas imports and huge economic benefits for the area. Thankfully, not all of us were taken in. Those with concerns about the environmental impact of fossil fuel extraction and usage quickly realised that fracking is a dirty business, a short-term energy fix with a potentially devastating effect on the planet.

RAFF was formed by half a dozen individuals who got together in October 2011. From the start we have been a little different from other pressure groups in that we speak with many voices. The ‘A’ in RAFF stands for ‘Action’ not ‘Against’. If we had gone in with all guns blazing and taken a strong anti-fracking stance, we believe that we’d have got nowhere. A less militant strategy meant that we could attract a much wider range of membership. We have members who are uncertain about fracking and want to learn more about it before making up their minds; some members want to see it happen providing the industry is properly regulated; others don’t want fracking to happen at all. Within the latter group, members will vary from those who are mainly concerned about any detrimental effect on their property, to those who are worried about the effects on our planet.

Although in many ways this is a political battle, RAFF has deliberately not aligned itself with any political party. Our local Conservative MP Mark Menzies initially appeared to be in favour of fracking. More recently, perhaps realising that this could potentially be a vote loser, he is making more sympathetic noises. The local Labour Party is now saying that it will ask for a moratorium on fracking at next year’s Lancashire County council elections, however we fear that will be too little, too late. We are happy to advise, inform and offer presentations to any party or group if we feel it will help get our message across and gain wider support and believe this strategy has paid off, as we now have a mix of members of all political persuasions, who aren’t alienated by RAFF voicing a preference for any particular party.

RAFF holds regular public meetings in different parts of the region. We show a PR film from Cuadrilla, together with Fracking Hell!, so no one can accuse us of not offering a balance. One great contributor to the group is a local engineer who has worked on drilling sites. His knowledge has been invaluable, not only in helping us understand some of the technical aspects of the fracking process, but also in providing hard facts for our members.

We still have an immense battle ahead of us and much awareness-raising to do, but RAFF currently has a database of hundreds of local members, many of whom are asking us to get noisier and more militant. Now that we have them on board, we intend to do just that.

By Pam Foster (@RAFF_group)