Friends of the Earth accused of 'misleading' over fracking

A photo of a Cumbrian lake is shown on the anti-fracking leaflet but no fracking is planned in the area

Friends of the Earth (FOE) has been accused of deliberately misleading people about the dangers of fracking in a fundraising leaflet.

The circular showed a picture of Grasmere in Cumbria saying: "Don't let fracking destroy this" and claimed that fracking chemicals could cause cancer.

A former geologist and energy firm Cuadrilla complained to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) saying the leaflet was "wholly inaccurate".

FOE denied "misleading" the public.

Cuadrilla said it was lodging an official complaint to the ASA and the Fundraising Standards Board about the leaflet, which it said included "numerous misleading assertions".

'Non-hazardous'

The Oil and Gas Authority announced in August locations in England where licences to frack for shale oil and gas would be offered and Grasmere was not included.

Cuadrilla confirmed there were no licences to drill in Cumbria.

The Reverend Michael Roberts, the former geologist who has also complained to the ASA, said he had received a copy of the leaflet in a magazine in the past week.

He wrote on his blog the leaflet's inclusion of Grasmere was "very odd, as these rocks, being volcanic contain no carbon-rich material whether coal, oil or gas".

Tony Bosworth, climate and energy campaigner for Friends of the Earth said: "The leaflet is not misleading. The picture of Grasmere is illustrative of the sorts of areas which the government is opening up for fracking.

"Worryingly, companies were invited to express interest in oil and gas exploration in parts of the Lake District National Park earlier this year, along with the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and Peak District."

The leaflet also claimed 25% of chemicals used during the fracking process could cause cancer.

There was a high chance chemicals would contaminate drinking water, it inferred.

A Cuadrilla spokesman said: "As Friends of the Earth is well aware, the UK Environment Agency does not permit the use of 'a toxic cocktail of chemicals' in fracking fluid for use in the UK and, in fact, only permits fracking fluid that it has assessed and tested as non-hazardous to groundwater.

What is fracking?

Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well.

"FOE's assertion is wholly inaccurate in respect of fracking in the UK and in respect of Cuadrilla. As such, the leaflet is likely to materially mislead readers," the firm added.

The Rev Roberts said "there is no science to support that statement that frack fluid could end up in your drinking water".

He said the leaflet's presentation of fracking was "inaccurate, flawed and misleading, along with its attack on Cuadrilla."

The leaflet claimed risky chemicals are used in the fracking process but Cuadrilla said such chemicals are banned in the UK

Mr Bosworth said the Environment Agency had approved the use, by Cuadrilla, of a chemical called polyacrylamide, which he claimed contained acrylamide, a "probable carcinogen".

He said there was a "growing body of evidence" showing "negative health and environmental impacts" from fracking and the process had been "put on hold" in areas like France and New York State because of these risks.

Cuadrilla has appealed against a decision, made by Lancashire County Council in August, which refused permission to drill and frack at two sites in the county.