British shale ambitions hit snag

County officials in the heart of the fledgling British shale natural gas sector balked on a permit Wednesday for Cuadrilla Resources because of noise pollution.

Lancashire County said it was considering refusal of the application because operations would "unacceptably result in harm to the amenity of neighboring properties by way of noise pollution."

Cuadrilla, which estimates the region may hold as much as 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, last year deposited 21 chapters of environmental studies with the Lancashire County Council associated with plans for up to four shale gas exploration wells.

There were no objections to the permits at the federal level. Locally, council members said the proposed drilling sites were too close to residential properties. The "general disturbance" from around-the-clock operations "would be significant," they said.

The refusal was met with praise by environmental advocates. Helen Rimmer, a campaigner with the British Friends of the Earth, said hydraulic fracturing, known also as fracking, should be sidelined in favor of low-carbon energy alternatives.

The British government in 2012 enacted new restrictions on hydraulic fracturing, ending a moratorium enforced after minor tremors were reported near Lancashire drilling sites. Last week, the British Geological Survey announced plans to conduct live monitoring of shale exploration in Lancashire.

The British government said natural gas from shale deposits would help reduce imports. The sector is in its infancy.

There was no statement from Cuadrilla on the council's recommendations.