Shale gas research

As your report indicates (What's the truth about fracking? 18 April), further investigation is still required on the complex issues surrounding shale gas extraction in the UK. The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society are conducting a joint review of the geological and environmental risks associated with hydraulic fracturing. This is due to report this summer. The Department of Energy report provides valuable recommendations, but principally on managing the seismic impact. This is only one of the elements that needs to be considered to make an informed decision on whether or not to allow shale gas exploration to proceed. There are other important engineering and scientific issues, such as the potential for groundwater contamination, that we are now in the process of evaluating. There are also economic and social considerations. And, when all is said and done, further public debate, informed by this knowledge, will also be essential to government decision-making.
Professor Robert Mair
Chair, Royal Society/Royal Academy of Engineering joint review of potential risks of shale gas extraction