Started on Aug 18, 2011 by Caitlin Johnson
Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a method of drilling that retrieves natural gas from deep within the earth. We might be sitting on a lot of natural gas here in Northeast Ohio and that could mean a lot of fracking. Should we be excited about this?
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My Water's On Fire Tonight (The Fracking Song)
"My Water's On Fire Tonight" is a product of Studio 20 NYU (http://bit.ly/hzGRYP) in collaboration with ProPublica.org (http://bit.ly/5tJN). The song is based on ProPublica's investigation on hydraulic fractured gas drilling (read the full investigation here: http://bit.ly/15sib6).
Posted Aug 18, 2011
I watched Gasland not long ago. It is an excellent documentary that left it's mark on me. I was against fracking, already and the film only made me want to fight against it more. I feel everyone should fight fracking. Between fracking, the Canadian tar sands removal and mountain top removal for coal, I worry there will be nothing left of our planet for our grandchildren.
TogglePosted Aug 19, 2011
Great job...though this seems to be a one sided propaganda piece together. Certainly the video’s you posted are emotional and would cause great concern. But those producing those videos have an agenda, which is clear and, as is typically done with environmentalist, there is no proof beyond hearsay. Who knows the cause for their situation, as you said.
Here is some more information that may provide some balance:
http://www.chk.com/Media/CorpMediaKits/Hydraulic_Fracturing_Fact_Sheet.pdf
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303936704576398462932810874.html
The issue of fracking is complex and difficult for many to understand. And the technology has changed as companies have discovered and learned from past experience. As has ALL of our technology over time. This country was built on huge pollution creating companies and now you see very little of that. I remember flying above Cleveland and seeing orange and green ooze along the shore line of lake Erie. It is now gone. Thank God and those who were vigilant and brought focus to the situation. But we all have to remember that we need energy, I am sure even the author uses a smart phone and computer which require power. And where will we get that power from. Windmills, which are slaughtering birds? There is no perfect solution but Gas is a very good one. The biggest point to be focused on is that the fracking process takes place 7 to 8 thousand feet below the surface level. Water exists very close to the surface. There is steel casing (tubes) that protect the water near the surface. And newer approaches have reinforced that protection. Working fluids are removed from the well after the fracking. I will say that the chemicals that exist at 7,000 ft are quite toxic since they are concentrated sea water that was compressed down over millions of years. So care should be taken in the actual drilling process. But fracking is not the risk present in this piece.
Let’s try to rely on facts and not emotion to defend a position. We all want a safe, clean, and protected environment, but let’s not be silly. We also need to have a quality of life.
Focusing on fact not fiction will help us to make the best decisions.
As a side note, here is a question. Why do we light empty parking lots and freeways and highways? If you fly across the country you see we are lit up like a Xmas tree. Doesn't it make logical sense to turn off all those night lights? I have lights on my car. We can have motion detection that will turn on parking lot lights when you walk to your car. Talking about saving energy why don't we use some common sense?
TogglePosted Aug 19, 2011
To Mr. Chesterland:
Propaganda? And you wish to cite a corporate media kit as well as the WSJ for unbiased "facts?"
Yes, there is always great and new technology to protect us from the exploits of the energy moguls as they drill and blast the landscapes and seas. And I ask everyone here: how has that worked out for us in places like the Gulf?
Fracking will continue much to the detriment of environment and economy until there is a national energy policy that leads the way for the otherwise uncompelled private sector. Read history. This is and always has been they way in any leading economy and so-called advance civilization. All the greatest advancements through research and development in the United States has occurred when the nation as a whole, or visionary leaders, actual leaders such as Franklin Roosevelt, have set policy and created an environment where new economies could be fostered.
Fracking is the continuation of policies, market forces, lifestyles and mindsets that are and should be history. This must change and will only change when concerned citizens demand of their governments their leaders and corporations that we need a completely new way forward with sustainable energy. That is going to take active advocacy as well as federal power to set policy and to invest, not subsidize the same corporations doing the same things.
Unfortunately, this kind of leadership and vision is not now present in the federal government and the calls for such from the public are not forthcoming.
Thank you Caitlin for introducing this topic.
Ohio? Where will you stand?
TogglePosted Aug 19, 2011
Indeed, we need more information. I have just spent a considerable amount of time in the Ohio Department of Resources website researching wells. No, not what is out there in the rural areas, but what if right here in my suburban Cleveland neighborhood. Have you?
Oil and gas drilling have taken place here since the late nineteenth century. There are wells and bore holes all over the place. Some of the abandoned wells exist with little to no information in the state's records. You ought to look at some of them sometime. The state apparently is moving forward before it even has a grip on what's gone on here historically. The information about old wells, leases, permits and active wells is purported to be right at our fingertips via the web. Not quite.
We have a battery of rules and regs for exchanging a tank of propane for your gas grill, but little seeming regard for citizens and even fire departments when it comes to drilling, exploration and permitting in the hands of private property owners. Do you all know the rules? Would you be surprised to know that gas wells are being drilled on schoolyards where children play or on golf courses where you play? Check out your kid's schoolyard, then your golf course (Shaker Country Club has 8 wells, for example and they are not alone). Has your municipality signed a lease on public lands before asking it's citizenry? Did these schoolyard wells come up at a PTA meeting? Can you find the wells in your neighborhood - the active wells, the plugged and abandoned wells? Can your fire chief? Does you city council know where they are? To my knowledge so far, there is not fracking as depicted in Gasland here in my neighborhood. Yet. I'd like us all to start where we are gathering understanding about the wells that are near us. Identifying their status and being informed about the potential dangers they present. It isn't all about the horizontal fracking with millions of gallons of polluted water. It's about your neighborhood, too.
To my knowledge all of Cleveland has recently received an urban settings designation. That means that in regard to brownfield redevelopment, groundwater needn't be considered in the clean up. This speed the redevelopment process - the point being that here in NEO we consume surface water, not groundwater from wells. It follows that we may not need to consider groundwater contamination from gas and oil wells. It's a slippery slope. Again, I recommend you all ask the Fire Chief in your municipality what he knows about gas wells there, what sort of notification they receive of new drilling, inspection, plugging, etc. Right now, it's even difficult to find a well's location in the ODNR database because the map coordinates haven't been entered correctly. I called last week because the map showed an active well one block from my suburban home in Cleveland Heights on a densely populated street. If citizens need to correct the ODNR's maps, how safe do you feel about what's already in your midst?
Check this out: http://youtu.be/3kr-SrEj4Yg
TogglePosted Aug 23, 2011
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Tainted Water Well Challenges Claim of Fracking’s Safety
The claim is based in part on a simple fact: fracking, in which water and toxic chemicals are injected at high pressure into the ground to break up rocks and release the gas trapped there, occurs thousands of feet below drinking-water aquifers. Because of that distance, the drilling chemicals pose no risk, industry officials have argued.
Posted Aug 19, 2011
An opportunity to learn more a few days from now: Y.O.U.N.G. Youngstown Ohio Utica Gas Industry Expo being held Nov 30 in Youngstown, Ohio,
UUYO: 1105 Elm St. Youngstown, 44505
Covelli Centre: 229 E. Front St., Youngstown 44503
Youngstown Square: Federal and Wick Ave. Youngstown 44503
the morning learning sessions are free:
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Exhibition Hall open to public
10 a.m. Education Session 1
--Trina Rauscher Cooper, Human Resource Director, V&M
Topic: V&M Staffing Update - A discussion on job search resources, skill set requirements and employment opportunities
--Michelle Ball, Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services
Topic: Workforce Development for the Oil and Gas Industry
10:30 a.m. 2nd Floor
--Rod Tyler, Filtrexx International
Topic: USDA Research on Compost Filter Socks for Storm Water Removal and Marcellus Shale Case Studies
11 a.m. Education Session 2
--Dr. Jeffrey D**k, Chair of Geological and Environmental Sciences,Youngstown State University
Topic: Fracking: Fact vs. Fiction
--Anthony Giovanelli, Director of Education, Noel Olinger, Business Liason, New Castle School of Trades
Topic: Establishing a Career Game Plan for Utica Shale
11:30 a.m 2nd Floor
CEC
12 - 1 p.m. Education Session 3
--Atty. Eric Johnson, Johnson & Johnson
Topic: Legally Speaking, What Do Property Owners Need To Know?
--Vince Bevacqua, Executive Vice-President, ShaleComm.
Topic: Using PR and Professional Communications to Grow and Protect Your Shale Investment
--Tom Angelo, City of Warren, Utica & Marcellus Shale Wastewater Expert
Topic: TBA
All details and flyer here: http://nofrackohio.squarespace.com/fracking-exposed-nov-30th-prot or here: http://www.facebook.com/events/129024437200754/
Register: http://tinyurl.com/c8y5eh7
Fracking Exposed: A State of Emergency
March - Protest - Rally: 12:15 pm - 2:30 pm - March from First Unitarian Universalist Church in Youngstown to Covelli Centre fpr PROTEST, then RALLY at Square in downtown Youngstown.
Other Events:
8 am - First Unitarian Universalist Church in Youngstown (UUYO) open for coffee, muffins and networking.
10 am or 3 pm - Choose either time: "State of Fracking in Ohio and How to get Involved" at UUYO
10 am - 1 pm - Hear the gas industry at Y.O.U.N.G Expo education sessions at the Covelli Centre. Advance registration is not required - http://regionalchamber.com/YOUNG2011
11:15 am - 12:15 pm - Vegan-friendly lunch at UUYO
UUYO: 1105 Elm St. Youngstown, 44505
Covelli Centre: 229 E. Front St., Youngstown 44503
Youngstown Square: Federal and Wick Ave. Youngstown 44503
Posted Nov 21, 2011
FracTracker - Marcellus Shale Info and Data
I was recently contacted by a resident of New York State who was concerned about Marcellus Shale gas drilling moving into his area. He found a report by geologists Dr….
Posted Aug 18, 2011
GASLAND Trailer
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GASLAND - (2010) Directed by Josh Fox. Winner of Special Jury Prize - Best US Documentary Feature - Sundance 2010. Screening at Cannes 2010. It is happening all across America and now in Europe and Africa as well - rural landowners wake up one day to find a lucrative offer from a multinational energy conglomerate wanting to lease their property.
Posted Aug 18, 2011
The New York Times editorial board just weighed in.
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The argument over hydraulic fracturing - a technique used to extract natural gas from deep shale formations - has become increasingly polarized. Some environmental groups have demanded a nationwide moratorium because of complaints about polluted drinking water in wells. Meanwhile, industry officials and many politicians, including Gov.
Posted Aug 22, 2011
And here's the 90 day interim report from the Department of Energy's natural gas subcommittee.
Toggle Download attached filePosted Aug 22, 2011
You can read Energy Sec'y Steven Chu's response here. It reads as somewhat noncomittal to me.
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Washington DC --- The Natural Gas Subcommittee of the Secretary Energy Advisory Board today submitted its final 90-day report on recommendations to reduce the environmental impacts from shale gas production to Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Earlier this year, President Obama announced a plan for U.S.
Posted Aug 22, 2011
A good summary here.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - A diverse group of advisors to Energy Secretary Steven Chu today released a series of consensus-based recommendations calling for increased measurement, public disclosure and a commitment to continuous improvement in the development and environmental management of shale gas, which has rapidly grown to nearly 30 percent of natural gas production in the United States.
Posted Aug 22, 2011
I am really glad that the NYT and Chu both want transparency and accountability in fracking. It still worries me though. It seems to me like extractive industries have a history of leaving economies worse off than they were before the drilling or mining began. Also, I worry that fracking will simply kick the can down the road and stop us from developing truly clean forms of energy. My dad was talking about the gas crisis of the ‘70s the other day. He remembered people with solar panels on their roofs and all sorts of other forms of energy. The technology was there 40 years ago and people were using it. But as soon as gas prices came down, they went back to their reliance on fossil fuels. I realize fracking is going to happen no matter what, and it's great that people are pushing for it to be done in a safer way, but I wish that some one in the Ohio Legislature would say something like: sure, we’ll go ahead with fracking – but we’re going to tax you oil and gas companies. And we’re going to use some of the money from those taxes to invest in new forms of energy so Ohio can truly be the foundation of this green belt we’ve all been hearing about.
TogglePosted Aug 23, 2011
Thank you, Caitlin. At least a few people are least "suggesting" that something be done with regards to both corporate and government accountability. And why should we simply give tacit consent - that this is going to happen anyway? Again, this does not need to happen with true corporate and governmental leadership that would lead to R & D and investment in cleaner and less dangerous energy resources.
TogglePosted Aug 23, 2011
What our legislature HAS said is that the ODNR will be funded directly by the taxes generated by oil and gas drilling. It's similar to roads being funded by fuel taxes. Therein lies the problem. Greenwashing. "Here, they say, look at all the wonderful things the ODNR does for our natural environment."
Good that you began to pull on this string, Caitlin. The entire garment needs to be unraveled. When we see how scantily dressed is this legislative authority whom we have elected, we may want to knit the new dress in an entirely new fashion.
TogglePosted Aug 23, 2011
Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Innovation (everything from how we extract them to how we burn them) will keep "peak oil" in the future for a very long time. I have been assured of two things for as long as I can remember, we are running out of water and we are running out of oil. So far those predictions seem laughably pessimistic; worse they haven't generated anything resembling wise public policy.
- Wind, solar and so many other forms of "clean" energy have downsides that we don't yet fully appreciate (including heavy reliance on rare minerals that are mined in ways that make all of us who care about the environment cringe). Remember, hydropower was a savior once; just don't tell that to the salmon and nuclear was "too cheap to meter."
- Policies are needed to remind us that food doesn't come from the grocery store and heat doesn't come from the furnace. Present public policies subsidize the cost of both products, causing excess consumption and excess environmental damage.
-Anyone who has visited the open pit mines of Minnesota knows the damage extraction industries do to the environment. Anyone who knows history, knows that without extraction industries we'd be living in a much different world. (Those mines helped us win WWII, among other things.) The issue is whether we can continue to balance the environmental damage with the societal good. Observing the track record of the extraction industry over the last few years the answer has to be: "h**l no." But for the life of me, I don't know what the alternative is -- besides intense regulatory oversight. And that sounds, to me, like not much of an answer at all.
These are the thoughts that rattle around in my head. No conclusions. Just thoughts. But I sure do hope we are able to have a thoughtful, informed conversation that leads to effective state policy. Thanks for getting the conversation rolling Caitlin.
TogglePosted Aug 24, 2011
Diane Rehm is doing her entire 10am hour on fracking.
It should be a good, balanced take on the issue. You can listen here http://thedianerehmshow.org/
Or at wcpn.org.
I think the should could give us some good food for thought for this discussion.
TogglePosted Aug 29, 2011
A guest on the show, Joseph Romm from the Center for America Progress put it very well I think. He said what's the rush? Fracking will create a 20 or 30 year bubble, not truly sustainable jobs. He said he is not against natural gas, but we need to study it and proceed carefully. If the future is truly clean and sustainable energy, that's where we should be putting our resources. Communities that are targeted for fracking need to collect baseline data before fracking starts in order to show how (if at all) fracking has affected them. Only once we understand the true risks we're dealing with and know how to do this as safely as possible, should we go ahead with fracking... I think that makes a lot of sense.
TogglePosted Aug 29, 2011
I'm all for supporting the economy in Northeast Ohio, but this does not seem to be a viable option for long term growth. Especially when "Ohio officials may be gearing up for a frackfest, but other states are backpedaling as they move to block the practice while they await a pair of federal studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy." Perhaps Ohio needs to take a step back also. Where is the evidence to make use feel safe and confident?
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Ohio moves ahead with shale exploration while other states take a break
COLUMBUS, Ohio - While several states have slammed the brakes on allowing fracking to release energy reserves buried deep in shale formations this summer, Gov. John Kasich presses forward with plans to develop Ohio's resources. Last week, Kasich shifted his state Department of Natural Resources chief, David Mustine, into a top leadership position with the governor's private job-creation board.
Posted Sep 12, 2011
I agree! In this video a city planning/economic development professor explains what could be the negative externalities associated with fracking if we proceed without taking precautionary measures. The damage might not just be environmental...
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Marcellus Hydrofracking: What Does it Mean for Economic Development. Prof. Susan Christopherson, Department of City and Regionall Planning at Cornell, presented at a forum "Long Term Economics of Fracking" held in Ithaca, NY by the League of Women Voters of Tompkins County on May 2, 2011, Ithaca, NY.
Posted Sep 14, 2011
Brad Whitehead of the Fund for Our Economic Future lays out a compelling argument for moving forward on allowing fracking thoughtfully and with appropriate regulation. Interestingly, he doesn't mention the word "fracking," but that's what he's talking about. It's unclear so far, though, if industry interests are interested in that strategy.
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Fuel Northeast Ohio's future, innovation pipeline with shale: Bradley Whitehead
Growing evidence that Northeast Ohio will see billions of dollars in new investments and tens of thousands of new jobs as a result of increased oil and gas drilling has a lot of people talking about something that hasn't been seen in these parts in generations -- an economic boom.
Posted Nov 14, 2011
How 'bout a videogame about fracking?
Kids (and adults) can do their own drilling in their own imaginary ancient river bed/watershed area. Players would set off explosives (which is always fun) and then "insert" in the chemicals and high velocity hoses into the underground channel.
Now the real fun begins! This iPhone/Android game will prove to provide hours of science fun as players learn how to apply high pressure chemically induced water into piles of underground shale. As the water pressure is applied, a seismic WARNING barometer climbs higher and higher - warning of imminent earthquake.
The goal of the game is to get as high a pressure of water as possible (thereby extracting the mAXIMUM of oil) while NOT setting off an earthquake.
Go too far! OOOOOOOOOOOOps - you set off an earthquake! Now the player gets to see surface building collapse, hiways fold and entire communities swallowed up by mother nature (who's been only SLIGHTLY disturbed!)
Let's get kids to have FUN with science and educate those who make tradeoffs on safety - all for the value of a few metric TONS of shale oil. Mmmm - I can taste those jobs - from here!
We're pitching the American Gas Assoc on this very game - as we speak.
Copyright 2012 Digital City Mechanics
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Posted Jan 03, 2012
In an article from The Business Journal (Youngstown), something on the books regarding the disturbing international spread of interests/responsibility/duty:
http://business-journal.com/chesapeake-sells-utica-stake-to-total-sa-p20694-1.htm
The article details how: "Analysts describe the $2.3 billion deal as evidence of how much and how fast foreign oil and gas companies are buying into the U.S. shale plays." And,
Darricarrere (president of french oil giant Total SA) expressed confidence in Chesapeake's stewardship of the environment. "Total is conscious of the environmental aspects linked to developing shale acreage and is confident in Chesapeake's capacity to manage the Utica Shale operations in a responsible manner, utilizing the highest industry standards in this respect," he said.
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Posted Jan 04, 2012
The Vindy's Shale Sheet is the best ongoing coverage of the fracking industry in the state of Ohio. Worth checking in on every now and then.
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Youngstown News, Fracking - Special Coverage
January 04, 2012 By DAVID SKOLNICK skolnick@vindy.com YOUNGSTOWN Mayor Charles Sammarone will ask city-council January 02, 2012 The New Year's Eve earthquake quake rattled nerves across the Valley - but not much else. January 02, 2012 D&L Energy Inc. is best known for its brine-injection well in the city that is suspected of triggering 11 Mahoning Valley earthquakes this year.
Posted Jan 04, 2012
The topic on 90.3-WCPN's Sound of Ideas this morning was Fracking Interference. The guests on the show were: Representative Bob Hagan from Youngstown; Bill Kinney, President, Summit Petroleum; Karl Henkel, Business Reportor, Youngstown Vindicator; Scott Ausbrooks, Geohazards Supervisor, Arkansas Geological Survey. If you're interested in this discussion listen to the link below.
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The Sound of Ideas: Fracking Interference
Posted Wednesday, January 4, 2012 The process of natural gas extraction commonly known has fracking has been a boon for the steel pipe industry and those with land to lease. But the wastewater byproduct from fracking -- disposed of through injection into underground wells -- is causing environmental fears.
Posted Jan 04, 2012
Forum on fracking and earthquakes tonight in Youngstown (January 11, 2012)
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Fracking forum to be held in Youngstown Wednesday
Investigators in Cleveland say a fitting room fire that cleared out a Walmart store is considered suspicious. The Cleveland Foodbank is getting a financial boost thanks to a grant from retail giant Walmart.
Posted Jan 11, 2012
We recently released a report that focuses on the need to ensure adequate revenue from the anticipated boom from fracking for shale gas in Ohio. That boom will likely create great private wealth but impose significant public costs. Think infrastructure like roads that will be used for heavy machinery, schools and health services, and of course the environmental costs that are already being documented. If we're going to let fracking happen in our state, at the very least Ohio's lawmakers should raise the state's severance tax in order to retain a fair share of the wealth that's created.
If we matched the 5 percent severance fee that's already imposed on shale-gas extraction by two neighboring states, Ohio would see an increase in revenues of about $538 million. We also recommend establishing a severance tax trust fund to build sustainable wealth for communities today and into the future.
In the case of Ohio, taxes on new oil and gas development could assist with the up-front infrastructure needs associated with drilling, restore some of the cuts to education and otherwise help communities prepare for the realities they will face after the oil boom. Earnings on the funds could support economic development planning for a diversified, post-boom economy in Ohio’s communities, particularly those impacted by the drilling and its related industries.
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Posted Jan 11, 2012
This is truly a regional issue and opportunity. This article describes a community meeting in Medina County, which as of yet has not been directly affected by the shale gas boom in the region, but preparing for it nonetheless.
“We wanted to be as proactive as we could and make sure we could regulate anything in our jurisdiction as much as we could,” Friedrick said of the formation of the countywide Shale Initiative Committee, made up of county officials in departments such as the county recorders office and economic and workforce development, which work directly with the oil and gas exploration industry.
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Hydrofracking discussion draws crowd to Brunswick
"There are none planned that I am aware of, but I am hearing a lot about fracking and I only have a basic understanding of it," said At-large Councilman Ron Falconi, one of number of administration, council, commission and trustee representatives from the city, Brunswick Hills Township and Medina County attending the meeting.
Posted Jan 22, 2012
Actually, two Medina County residents believe they have already been very directly affected by fracking. Two homes in Medina County have been declared public health hazards because potentially explosive levels of natural gas in their drinking water. The ODNR denies fracking was responsible, but (from the attached article)
"On Sept. 29, 2008, Mangan and his wife, Sandy, found that their drinking-water well went dry at a time when a company was drilling for natural gas at Allardale Park about a half- mile away.
When the water returned to the Mangans’ well in five days, it had an unpleasant taste and rotten-egg scent. It was salty. It bubbled. It contained methane gas and a gray-colored slurry of cement.
The Mangans said they could ignite the gas bubbles in the water from their kitchen sink.
. . . The wells, about 1,500 feet apart, were being drilled 3,700 feet deep and cemented on the outside for environmental protection at the time that the Mangans’ problems surfaced. The vertical wells were then fracked."
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Vindy.com - Federal agency: Medina families at risk from polluted water tied to drilling
A federal health agency says potentially explosive levels of natural gas at two houses in Granger Township in eastern Medina County are a public-health threat. The problems in the two drinking-water wells appear to be linked to the nearby drilling of two natural-gas wells in 2008, says the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, part of the U.S.
Posted Jan 23, 2012
Chesapeake Energy is bringing its rigs to Ohio.
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Chesapeake Energy is cutting back gas drilling operations but will proceed in Ohio's "wet gas" areas
Chesapeake Energy's plans to develop parts of Ohio's shale got a lot more clear Monday. Chesapeake said it will slash its operations in places such and Pennsylvania and Texas and move drilling rigs and money to Ohio and other states where shale formations show promise of producing more oil and other liquids needed by the chemical industry.
Posted Jan 24, 2012
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Have you ever heard of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking?” If you haven’t, you will soon. Fracking is a process of drilling thousands of feet into the earth and creating small explosions to “fracture” hard shale rocks, which then release natural gas. Extremely pressurized water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock. Gas then flows out into a well.
There are two major shale rock formations in our neck of the woods: the Marcellus Shale and the even deeper Utica Shale. Fracking is already happening in Carroll and Sandusky Counties According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina, Summit and Portage Counties (and many others!) sit atop the Utica Shale. Lake and Stark are above both the Marcellus and Utica.
Last month, Chesapeake Energy announced that there deposits of oil and gas in eastern Ohio's Utica Shale could be worth $15 billion to $20 billion. Governor John Kasich said this discovery could be a shot in the arm for Ohio’s economy. In Youngstown, more than 400 people have been put to work building a new $650 million blast furnace to build the steel tubes used in fracking. Considering what this region has been through over the last 30 years, it’s no wonder many people are enthusiastically embracing fracking.
But not everyone. Opponents say fracking releases methane into the atmosphere, which they say damages the ozone layer just as much as demonized greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. An award winning documentary “Gasland” tells cautionary tales of flammable tap water, sick and dead animals, unexplained repertory problems, headaches, and even cancer, gas clouds and toxic ponds of left-over fracking fluid. A study out of Cornell University has shown that fracking could spur a very fast economic boom followed by a harsh decline. Moreover, the equipment and manpower needed for fracking often overwhelm the small towns where natural gas wells are located, damaging infrastructure and even driving up rents for local residents.
People afflicted by these problems say fracking is the cause, but it’s very hard for to prove. Why? Because in 2005, President George W. Bush signed a law that exempted fracking from the Clean Air and Water Acts as well as the Safe Drinking Water Act. Also, fracking fluid is proprietary. Companies don’t have to say what’s in it. Although the federal government is conducting a study about fracking, in the short term, if it is going to be regulated, it will likely be done at the state level.
How do you think we should proceed with fracking here in Ohio? What are your concerns?
Check out this cool video:
TogglePosted Aug 18, 2011