The post you are reporting:
Neil.
Jan is right, your post is interesting and correct, in my opinion.
This is about drilling test holes to extract samples of coal and nothing more.
This type of drilling has been going on in Kent for over one hundred years, with no adverse affects to aquifers.
Of course tight controls need to be in place, to make sure this continues to have no bad effects and to make sure no incidents occur.
I am no expert but having read all the Tilmanstone application documents, I am satisfied at this time, that adequate measures have been put in place for the drilling period, although I am open to hearing facts to prove me wrong.
Mine water samples pumped from our collieries were tested & regulated but at that time deemed harmless.
If extraction ever commences, then I agree with you, lessons should be learned and all regulations must be tighter and be better controlled, than in the past.
All
I am against fracking and I fully agree with those protesting that not enough information is being released, earlier, to the general public. Only releasing minimum required info, is no longer acceptable.
The time has come to call for more honesty and transparency from councils and companies dealing with issues that affect our communities and it is time for people from within those communities, to have more say, on those issues.
However, I feel that some groups are making things worse not better.
Making this a political issue and misleading people with "stop this fracking" when it has nothing to do with fracking, is just as dangerous, as the fracking itself.
Muddying the waters and misleading people now, will make it harder stop fracking, when and if the time arises.
If you want changes to happen, you cannot act like the people you are criticising, this makes you no better than them and harder for those that can act in a more positive and effective way.