Bolton Green Party supports the call for a moratorium on fracking

Fracking is the controversial process of extracting shale gas, or coal bed methane, from underground by the hydraulic fracture of the rock strata containing the gas.

Water, sand and a cocktail of chemicals are injected at high pressure to create cracks in the rocks to allow the gas to escape.

In the US, explosions, spills, and toxic pollution of air and water have been reported to the authorities, and there have been calls to outlaw the practice made around the world.

Caroline Lucas MP and Michael Meacher MP initiated an Early Day Motion in Parliament to halt all fracking operations until a full and detailed scientific analysis of its impacts can be carried out, and until it can be firmly established that the process does not give rise to unacceptable environmental consequences.

The energy company Cuadrilla has identified large potential shale gas reserves in the Lancashire area, and has signalled the possible exploitation of hundreds of drill sites.

It has been admitted that a trial drill site in the Blackpool area was probably responsible for two earth tremors.

In September, 2011, members of Bolton Green Party attended Camp Frack, a protest camp set up near the trial drill site at Hesketh Bank.