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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

The British government called a halt Saturday to the controversial process of "fracking" due to fears it could trigger earthquakes in a surprise U-turn just weeks before a general election.

Until now, Britain had hoped that fracking—banned in many countries, but booming in the United States—could help secure its future energy independence.

But with just a few weeks to go before Britain goes to the polls—where environmental issues are expected to feature prominently—Business and Energy Secretary Andrea Leadsom announced a "moratorium" at what is currently the UK's only operational shale gas well in Lancashire, northwest England.

"I have concluded that we should put a moratorium on fracking in England with immediate effect," Leadsom said.

"It is clear that we cannot rule out future unacceptable impacts on the local community."

The U-turn follows a report by Britain's Oil and Gas Authority into recent seismic activity at Preston New Road, a site operated by exploration and production company Cuadrilla.

[...] Protests broke out as[sic] last year as work began on Britain's first horizontal shale gas well at Cuadrilla's Preston New Road site.

[...] Cuadrilla's first attempt at fracking seven years ago was ended after it triggered minor earthquakes, putting their plans on hold while more stringent measures were put in place.

[...] The British Geological Survey estimates that the site Cuadrilla is exploring holds up to 2,300 trillion cubic feet (90 trillion cubic metres) of shale gas.

The amount could theoretically fill Britain's natural gas needs for more than a thousand years.

[...] The government said Saturday it would "take a presumption against issuing any further Hydraulic Fracturing Consents" unless new evidence is provided.

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