Hung up on Fracking

Now that I've been doing all this reading on hydraulic fracturing -- FRACKING -- I finally understand what those anti-fracking signs that populate people's front yards, next to the old Vote Moriarty for Mayor signs, are actually protesting.

(In my quest for an image, I found an Ithaca-based anti-fracking group on Facebook)

"There's no such thing as zero-impact drilling," says John Hanger, head of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection. Since 2008 he's doubled the number of state regulators (100 to 205) and inspectors (21 to 45) to oversee the gas industry.

Hanger told Keteyian that there is evidence of chemical contaminants in water. "Spills and surface leaks have, in fact, contaminated people's drinking water," he said.

Yet nationwide the industry is not required to disclose what potentially toxic chemicals - like hydrochloric acid - are used in the drilling process.

A provision of a law proposed by the Bush administration and passed by Congress in 2005 (dubbed by opponents the " Halliburton loophole") stripped the EPA of its ability to regulate "fracking" - leaving the job of regulatory enforcement in the hands of cash-strapped, undermanned state agencies.

Since then, drilling companies have been allowed to put millions of gallons of unknown chemicals into the ground without reporting it, making it difficult to link pollution claims to drilling" (From Armen Keteyian, "A Burning Debate Over Natural Gas Drilling")

 In Pennsylvania, gas drilling is already occurring. Cited in Keteyian's article is Stephanie Hallowich, a western P.A. homeowner, who fears for the health of her children. She claims that since drilling has commenced in her community, her own water has turned black in color, forcing her to purchase drinking water. While the scent of fumes in the air causes concern about the quality of the air that she and her children breathe. As cited in the excerpt above, "there's no such thing as zero-impact drilling," and we aren't even briefed on the potential risks that we may face! Not to mention the fact that Hallowich's community has transformed into an industrial site. 

"The Governor of New York recently announced that fracking will not occur unless it can be proven that the procedure will not pollute water supplies." Given that contamination has been observed in other states where fracking is already occurring, this is one step in the right direction.

"United States Shale Gas Plays"

 See the stripes? That's the good stuff.

(Image source: http://chanceofrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/shale-gas-map.jpg)