Frack off !

[DrinkingHarp]

Scientific analysis has shown that in West Virginia and Pennsylvania fracking has contaminated ground water, so severe in places that tap water is actually flammable.

I find that fairly hard to believe tbh.

Personally I'd be opposed to it without knowing more about it and having a full review completed

From my understanding of the process I struggle to understand how ground water would not be contaminated to some degree. I cannot fathom how the chemicals used in the fracking or the gas released could be completely contained so as to make it safe.

Take a look at these videos

http://rt.com/usa/flammable-water-dakota-fracking-023/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBjSXWQRV8

[omaghjoe]

Extremely poor decision from the politicians here, what was the given reason? Because there wasn't enough information? Not sure if he is really qualified to make that comment and I'm pretty sure he is even less qualified to make the overall decision. But that's the problem with politicians, they are very good at getting elected but usually very poor leaders and decision makers. I guess he is more concerned with how SDLPs vote will hold up in Fermanagh. DUP are probably more concerned about lining their own pockets somehow. Point is neither are qualified to make the decisions they are making.

This hole was an exploration well, it would be used to explore the reservoir, the chances of contamination to the ground are virtually zero if the well uses modern designs. If this hole was drilled data could be extracted from the reservoir to asses as to whether or not it is even viable. It would also give information on the rock formations.

You need all the information on the table before being able to make an informed decision on this and without an exploration well you don't. The main reason that fracking contaminates ground water is because there is insufficient impermeable rock layers between the reservoir formation and the water table. An exploration well would be able to tell us something about that and asses whether or not there was a risk of contamination. The vast majority of fracking operations do not contaminate ground water as they are buried below maybe dozens of impermeable rock formations.

As someone earlier pointed out if we had this attitude about every new technology we would still be in the Iron Age. Very true and they all have unwanted consequences it just depends on how much we are willing to accept and adapt to them in our daily lives.

• Look at farming, it has changed the natural landscape beyond all recognition in Ireland and continues to have an adverse affect on the environment including water pollution, air pollution, noise pollution etc.
  
  
• Quarrying is similar risk of pollution to ground water, noise pollution, disruption on country roads etc
  
  
• Aeroplanes are another example
  
  
• But the most glaring example is motor vehicles, noise and air pollution and dozens of cases of injury and death every year yet not only are we willing to accept them we just egg-on  the carnage with more roads, more cars, faster cars etc etc

Anyway my point is all of these technological advances we are willing to put up with their downsides and build our lives around.

The people making the decisions as to whether we go ahead with a new technology or not should measure up the risks and consequences analytically and logically against the potential benefits. They should not also have to asses the voting pattern of a public which is often ill informed, open to manipulation and scaremongering, and does not know what is best for it.

If I lived in Fermanagh I have to say I would also be out protesting.... but about the ownership of the mineral rights on the land, a potential financial benefit to the locality that will never be seen.

[macdanger2]

Scientific analysis has shown that in West Virginia and Pennsylvania fracking has contaminated ground water, so severe in places that tap water is actually flammable.

I find that fairly hard to believe tbh.

Personally I'd be opposed to it without knowing more about it and having a full review completed

From my understanding of the process I struggle to understand how ground water would not be contaminated to some degree. I cannot fathom how the chemicals used in the fracking or the gas released could be completely contained so as to make it safe.

Take a look at these videos

http://rt.com/usa/flammable-water-dakota-fracking-023/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBjSXWQRV8

Looks like there's pockets of flammable gas coming through with the water rather than the water itself being flammable (which is what I was imagining)

[Hereiam]

This is all a smoke screen by the DUP. They are looking more of a cut from this fracking to line the coffers. There are no Catholics directly involved in this to annoy so why would they stop if not for a better deal for the DUP.

[magpie seanie]

Scientific analysis has shown that in West Virginia and Pennsylvania fracking has contaminated ground water, so severe in places that tap water is actually flammable.

I find that fairly hard to believe tbh.

Personally I'd be opposed to it without knowing more about it and having a full review completed

From my understanding of the process I struggle to understand how ground water would not be contaminated to some degree. I cannot fathom how the chemicals used in the fracking or the gas released could be completely contained so as to make it safe.

Take a look at these videos

http://rt.com/usa/flammable-water-dakota-fracking-023/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBjSXWQRV8

Looks like there's pockets of flammable gas coming through with the water rather than the water itself being flammable (which is what I was imagining)

Ah that's ok so! 

[orangeman]

This is all a smoke screen by the DUP. They are looking more of a cut from this fracking to line the coffers. There are no Catholics directly involved in this to annoy so why would they stop if not for a better deal for the DUP.

DUP wouldn't be like that.

[Hardy]

Scientific analysis has shown that in West Virginia and Pennsylvania fracking has contaminated ground water, so severe in places that tap water is actually flammable.

I find that fairly hard to believe tbh.

Personally I'd be opposed to it without knowing more about it and having a full review completed

From my understanding of the process I struggle to understand how ground water would not be contaminated to some degree. I cannot fathom how the chemicals used in the fracking or the gas released could be completely contained so as to make it safe.

Take a look at these videos

http://rt.com/usa/flammable-water-dakota-fracking-023/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBjSXWQRV8

Looks like there's pockets of flammable gas coming through with the water rather than the water itself being flammable (which is what I was imagining)

Ah that's ok so! 

Sure who takes a lighter into the shower?

[macdanger2]

Scientific analysis has shown that in West Virginia and Pennsylvania fracking has contaminated ground water, so severe in places that tap water is actually flammable.

I find that fairly hard to believe tbh.

Personally I'd be opposed to it without knowing more about it and having a full review completed

From my understanding of the process I struggle to understand how ground water would not be contaminated to some degree. I cannot fathom how the chemicals used in the fracking or the gas released could be completely contained so as to make it safe.

Take a look at these videos

http://rt.com/usa/flammable-water-dakota-fracking-023/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBjSXWQRV8

Looks like there's pockets of flammable gas coming through with the water rather than the water itself being flammable (which is what I was imagining)

Ah that's ok so! 

TBF, having flammable gas coming through your pipes is a different problem to the water itself containing contaminants (e.g. flammable liquid hydrocarbons). Understanding exactly how a problem like this arises is surely important for both sides of the Fracking debate.

In Ireland, most water is piped from lakes / reservoirs and seeing as gas (assuming it's a hydrocarbon gas such as methane) is insoluble in water, I don't see how we could have this particular problem. If you were piping water directly from a bored well, then you might be more likely to have a situation such as this and obviously that would be a problem.

[Tony Baloney]

Scientific analysis has shown that in West Virginia and Pennsylvania fracking has contaminated ground water, so severe in places that tap water is actually flammable.

I find that fairly hard to believe tbh.

Personally I'd be opposed to it without knowing more about it and having a full review completed

From my understanding of the process I struggle to understand how ground water would not be contaminated to some degree. I cannot fathom how the chemicals used in the fracking or the gas released could be completely contained so as to make it safe.

Take a look at these videos

http://rt.com/usa/flammable-water-dakota-fracking-023/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBjSXWQRV8

Posting links to those videos does not make something fact. I could equally post links to articles saying that in some of those areas there was methane in the groundwater supplies prior to fracking and that those videos were ballix.

There is no doubt cowboy fracking would be a disaster. Assuming there are examples elsewhere of industrial best practice, then these are the areas that should be looked at, rather than throwing out the idea entirely on the basis of shoddy work elsewhere.

[Franko]

Scientific analysis has shown that in West Virginia and Pennsylvania fracking has contaminated ground water, so severe in places that tap water is actually flammable.

I find that fairly hard to believe tbh.

Personally I'd be opposed to it without knowing more about it and having a full review completed

From my understanding of the process I struggle to understand how ground water would not be contaminated to some degree. I cannot fathom how the chemicals used in the fracking or the gas released could be completely contained so as to make it safe.

Take a look at these videos

http://rt.com/usa/flammable-water-dakota-fracking-023/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBjSXWQRV8

Posting links to those videos does not make something fact. I could equally post links to articles saying that in some of those areas there was methane in the groundwater supplies prior to fracking and that those videos were ballix.

There is no doubt cowboy fracking would be a disaster. Assuming there are examples elsewhere of industrial best practice, then these are the areas that should be looked at, rather than throwing out the idea entirely on the basis of shoddy work elsewhere.

I assume there are examples of industrial best practice in many fields (nuclear energy/erection of telephone masts/siting of airports etc etc). That doesn't mean that the industry itself is safe or is something that you would want on your doorstep.

[Tony Baloney]

Scientific analysis has shown that in West Virginia and Pennsylvania fracking has contaminated ground water, so severe in places that tap water is actually flammable.

I find that fairly hard to believe tbh.

Personally I'd be opposed to it without knowing more about it and having a full review completed

From my understanding of the process I struggle to understand how ground water would not be contaminated to some degree. I cannot fathom how the chemicals used in the fracking or the gas released could be completely contained so as to make it safe.

Take a look at these videos

http://rt.com/usa/flammable-water-dakota-fracking-023/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LBjSXWQRV8

Posting links to those videos does not make something fact. I could equally post links to articles saying that in some of those areas there was methane in the groundwater supplies prior to fracking and that those videos were ballix.

There is no doubt cowboy fracking would be a disaster. Assuming there are examples elsewhere of industrial best practice, then these are the areas that should be looked at, rather than throwing out the idea entirely on the basis of shoddy work elsewhere.

I assume there are examples of industrial best practice in many fields (nuclear energy/erection of telephone masts/siting of airports etc etc). That doesn't mean that the industry itself is safe or is something that you would want on your doorstep.

Risk versus reward. Plans shouldn't be passed due to bias from a cabal of politicians nor should they be rejected on the basis of objections from people having their heads twisted by a couple of online videos and pressure from the green lobby. If, on the evidence available it isn't worth the risk then don't do it. Simple.

[orangeman]

Arlene has told them to frack off eventually.