Public Accountability Unit
Tel: 020 8327 6920
Wellington House
133-155 Waterloo Road
www.gov.uk/phe
London SE1 8UG
By email
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx Our ref: 03/09/ab/526
17 October 2018
Dear Ms Kneale
Re: Review of Public Health England report on the Health Risks of Shale Gas
Extraction
Thank you for your email dated 3 September 2018. Your request for information has
been handled under the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR).
I have answered the questions in the ordered it has been raised:
1. What evidence has been considered since 2014 ?
Your answer stated that "PHE reviews published peer reviewed scientific literature...
" I would like to see a full list of all the articles that have been reviewed since
2014 and any comments on why they are not relevant.
Please find attached a list of the articles which have been reviewed since 2014. The
review is currently on-going and this may therefore not a be complete list of all
publications under consideration.
2. How has that evidence been identified?
I would like copies of your literature searches on Pubmed, Scopus and any other
resource that has been used to identify evidence. Not just the names of the
databases that you use!
The search strategy uses the following terms across all fields ‘hydraulic fracturing’
OR ‘hydraulic fracturing fluids’ OR ‘shale gas development’ OR ‘shale gas’ OR ‘shale
gas extraction’ OR ‘shale gas drilling’ OR ‘shale gas exploration’ OR ‘shale gas
production’ OR ‘shale gas industry’ OR ‘unconventional gas’ OR ‘unconventional gas
extraction’ AND ‘health’. The review focuses on references in the English language
and consideration of human health impacts.
In addition cross checks are made against review studies or databases and grey
literature to identify relevant publication, which may not have been identified through
the main search strategy.
3. Who assessed this evidence and what criteria has been used?
I would like to know the names of the individuals with work titles ( including principal
professional qualifications) , names of any committees, and a copy of the written
remit that was given to them in order to decide whether or not it was relevant to
reviewing the report.
The evidence is assessed by a group of scientists within the Centre for Radiation,
Chemical and Environmental Hazards (CRCE). The review is ongoing, therefore
membership of the group changes annually. PHE takes corporate responsibility for
decisions made by staff. Please note in accordance with Section 40 –
personal
information exemption, all names have been substituted with the organisations they
represent with the exception of those at Senior Civil Service level 3 or equivalent.
The attached document (literature review objectives) provides details of the
information considered when assessing whether a publication is relevant for the
ongoing review. Identified references are reviewed by key topic.
4. How was the scope of the review decided and by whom?
I would like the original written document including the name of the author, names of
the persons who approved this scope and names of the person(s) authorising this
scope .
The scope of the ongoing review is the same as that used for the 2014 PHE review.
As stated in the 2014 report, the review focussed exclusively on the direct health
impact of releases to the environment due to emissions from the production of shale
gas (and some liquid hydrocarbons) from shale formations with hydraulic fracturing
in either vertical or horizontal wells.
PHE takes corporate responsibility for decisions made by staff. Please note in
accordance with Section 40 –
personal information exemption, all names have been
substituted with the organisations they represent with the exception of those at
Senior Civil Service level 3 or equivalent.
In addition I have not been supplied with any of the documents, reports , missives
including e mails and telephone discussions relating to the decision not to review the
report. May I politely ask again for this FOI request to be fulfilled.
The evidence review is part of an ongoing process. No decision has been made with
respect to future updates of the PHE review. PHE are considering the available
evidence and the potential approaches to update the review.
If you have any queries regarding the information that has been supplied to you,
please refer your query to me in writing in the first instance. If you remain dissatisfied
and would like to request an internal review, then please contact us at the address
above or by emailing
xxx@xxx.xxx.xx Please note that you have the right to an independent review by the Information
Commissioner’s Office if a complaint cannot be resolved through the PHE
complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner’s Office can be contacted by
writing to Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information team