YP Letters: Fracking raises many unanswered questions

ON the controversial subject of “fracking”, I have some very significant questions for the companies, technicians and engineers involved in the process.

Setting aside the arguments about using fossil fuels at all, if fracking is as safe and efficient as is claimed, why are there some very negative reports on the process coming from America and Australia?

Why did the fracking companies in Australia refuse to divulge to the government authorities a full list of the chemicals used in the process?

Why is one of these chemicals benzene? Benzene is probably the most lethal of all the petroleum hydrocarbons.

A further question is this. If fracking is really so safe 
and efficient, why can’t this technology be used to extract 
gas from the millions of 
tonnes of coal in the UK’s 
existing coalfields – bearing in mind that the location of the coal is known, without more research, and also some of the coalfields are still industrial sites?

Admittedly, these are questions from an ignorant layman.

Nevertheless, satisfactory answers are still needed 
before fracking is commenced 
in the UK.