OR/18/020 Introduction

R S Ward1, G Allen2, B J Baptie1, L Bateson1, R A Bell1, A S Butcher1, Z Daraktchieva3, R Dunmore4, R E Fisher5, A Horleston6, C H Howarth3, D G Jones1, C J Jordan1, M Kendall6, A Lewis4, D Lowry5, C A Miller3, C J Milne1, A Novellino1, J Pitt2, R M Purvis4, P L Smedley1 and J M Wasikiewicz3. 2018. Preliminary assessment of the environmental baseline in the Fylde, Lancashire. British Geological Survey Internal Report, OR/18/020.

This report presents the initial results of the environmental baseline monitoring in the Fylde, Lancashire, carried out by the British Geological Survey (BGS) and its partners. The objective of this monitoring is to acquire a comprehensive set of data in order to establish baseline environmental conditions ahead of Cuadrilla’s proposed shale-gas exploration activities in the area. Cuadrilla submitted two applications to explore for shale gas in 2014, one at Preston New Road (PNR) and one at Roseacre Wood (Figure 1). In 2016 and following an appeal and public enquiry, the Cuadrilla application for the PNR site was approved by Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government. A decision on the appeal in respect of the Roseacre Wood site was delayed pending a reopening of the public enquiry in order to examine outstanding questions over highways management.

Figure 1    Location of the Fylde, Cuadrilla sites subject to planning permission and hydrocarbon wells. © Crown Copyright and/or database right 2018. Licence number 100021290 EUL.

Public concerns over shale-gas exploration and development have included the potential pollution of surface waters and groundwater (drinking water), triggering of earthquakes and impacts on air quality (health related and greenhouse gases). Concerns particularly relate to hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) activities but risks are associated with other stages of the shale gas operation throughout its lifetime. Environmental safeguards need to be in place to ensure the risks are minimised and environmental monitoring throughout the life cycle of the operation provides assurance of those safeguards.

Although a number of studies in countries where shale gas is a developed industry have inferred a link between groundwater quality, seismicity, health impacts and hydrocarbon extraction (Jackson et al., 2013; Llewellyn et al., 2015; Osborn et al., 2011), establishing a casual relationship is difficult without evidence of the pre-development baseline conditions. This can provide a more robust basis for establishing whether any environmental change(s) or events are related to the shale gas exploration and development.

This report outlines the preliminary results of investigations carried out so far to establish the pre-development environmental baseline in the Fylde and covers key diagnostic analyses for water, air, seismicity, ground motion, soil gas and radon.

It is important to note that the baseline assessed here relates to the conditions pertaining currently under pre-development (pre-fracking) environmental conditions and does not imply a pre-modern ‘pristine’ condition. The baseline conditions are therefore subject to inputs such as contamination from pre-existing agricultural, domestic and industrial sources.

The Operator (Cuadrilla) has a requirement to monitor as part of its environmental permit conditions. BGS’s monitoring activities have been additional to and independent of this monitoring.