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Article

The U.K.'s "Dash for Gas" A Rapid Evidence Assessment of Fracking for Shale Gas, Regulation and Public Health

Details

Citation

Watterson A & Dinan W (2017) The U.K.'s "Dash for Gas" A Rapid Evidence Assessment of Fracking for Shale Gas, Regulation and Public Health. New Solutions, 27 (1), pp. 68-91. https://doi.org/10.1177/1048291117698175

Abstract
The evidence on public health regulation of the unconventional gas extraction (fracking) industry was examined using a rapid evidence assessment of fifteen case studies from multiple countries. They included scientific and academic papers, professional reports, government agency reports, industry and industry-funded reports, and a nongovernment organization report. Each case study review was structured to address strengths and weaknesses of the publication in relation to our research questions. Some case studies emphasized inherent industry short-, medium-, and long-term dangers to public health directly and through global climate change impacts. Other case studies argued that fracking could be conducted safelyassumingindustry best practice, ¡°robust¡± regulation, and mitigation, but the evidence base for such statements proved generally sparse. U.K. regulators¡¯ own assessments on fracking regulation are also evaluated. The existing evidence points to the necessity of a precautionary approach to protect public health from unconventional gas extraction development.

Keywords
fracking; public health; precaution; regulation; rapid evidence assessment

Journal
New Solutions: Volume 27, Issue 1

StatusPublished
Publication date31/05/2017
Publication date online21/03/2017
Date accepted by journal01/02/2017
URL
PublisherSAGE
ISSN1048-2911
eISSN1541-3772

People (1)

Dr William Dinan

Dr William Dinan

Senior Lecturer, Communications, Media and Culture

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