Anti-Fracking Protesters to Rally in UK City of Sheffield on May 28

Several environmental groups' activists will gather on Saturday in the UK city of Sheffield to protest against pro-fracking policy of authorities, local media reported Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Activists from a number of environmental groups and associations will gather on Saturday in the UK city of Sheffield, located in South Yorkshire county, to protest against pro-fracking policy of authorities, local media reported Thursday.

Earlier this week, the authorities of North Yorkshire, which is located near South Yorkshire, allowed the UK company Third Energy to begin hydraulic fracturing for shale gas in, marking the return of fracking to the United Kingdom after a 5-year hiatus.

According to The Star newspaper, representatives of Sheffield Climate Alliance, Fossil Free Sheffield, South Yorkshire Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Sheffield Against Fracking, Frack Free South Yorkshire, No Fracking Barnsley and Sheffield Green Party will gather in the city of Sheffield, protesting against the move of North Yorkshire authorities.

The newspaper added that the rally would be held in front of Barclays Bank that owns some 95 percent of Third Energy.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a process in which liquid is injected into wells at high pressure to break up rock formations that tend to clog underground reservoirs of oil and natural gas.

Environmental groups have repeatedly warned that chemical residues left over from fracking contaminate underground supplies of drinking water.