UK gives green light to fracturing... with conditions

By ROB WATTS London

 20 December 2012 23:59 GMT

THE UK has given the go ahead for hydraulic fracturing to resume, subject to new safeguards.

Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, lifted a ban imposed in 2011 when fracturing by Cuadrilla Resources at a pilot project in Lancashire was found to be responsible for two earth tremors.

Davey said further fracking would be subject to new controls to mitigate the risk of unwanted seismic activity. “I stress we are moving forward with appropriate caution. The controls at this stage are not definitive,” Davey said. “Fracking must be safe and the public must be confident it is safe.”

He said his decision was based on…

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