The Radioactivity of the Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) of Shale Gas (Pt Ⅰ)

摘要

This paper constitutes the first of a two-part series on the Radioactivity of the Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) of Shale Gas. The paper is specifically concerned with the radioactivity associated with the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of shale gas, i.e. the release of radionuclides into the air, water and soil (atmospheric, aquatic, and terrestrial media) as the result of fracking operations. The paper aims to inform policy formulation and the development of legislative and regulatory frameworks at international, European, and national (domestic) levels. In Pt Ⅱ, the author examines the international and EU legal instruments governing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) emanating from, inter alia, the Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) of Shale Gas. The environmental and public health impacts of fracking-both potential and actual-have been the subject of scrutiny at international, regional and national levels, and a multitude of studies have been published in recent years, inter alia.