LONDON, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- A call from academia to loosen the rules for the fledgling British shale industry could lead to "shock waves" of opposition, an advocacy group said Tuesday.
Researchers at the University of Glasgow said existing regulations that mandate a halt to hydraulic fracturing operations if minor tremors are recorded are too stringent. The regulations, they say, place restrictions on tremors equivalent to a passing truck.
Tony Bosworth, a campaigner with British Friends of the Earth, said if the government watered down existing regulations, it would send a message that industry interests trump the public's.
"Any move to weaken safety rules on fracking will send shock-waves around local communities who face the threat of shale gas extraction under their homes," he said in a statement.
Last year, the British Geological survey estimated shale basins in the country may hold more than 1.3 quadrillion cubic feet of natural gas, a level the government said could help an economy with natural gas imports on pace to increase from 45 percent of demand in 2011 to 76 percent by 2030.
In April, London said it was offering $3.3 million to companies that come up with new ways to produce or explore shale gas, including environmental management and reservoir monitoring.
The British government enacted fracking legislation in 2012 after minor tremors were reported near shale operations led by Cuadrilla Resources, one of the few companies with an active fracking campaign developed in the country.
University of Glasgow researchers say the existing regulations may keep some investors in the fledgling shale industry at bay.
A spokesman for Cuadrilla told the Daily Telegraph in London the bar was high when compared with other industries. The company said, however, it was in agreement with the government that "for the exploration phase of shale gas, seismic levels will be stringent with a view to further review once it can be confirmed that levels can be adjusted upwards without compromising safety."
