Fracking causes controversy in some towns
Thursday, July 3, 2014
If you live in a town where shale-gas drilling is taking place, there may be a chance that fracking could be banned in the future.
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that two New York communities, Dryden and Middlefield, have passed zoning laws that don’t allow for fracking. This ban stems from 2011 zoning ordinances stating that fracking should be outlawed within the town’s boundaries.
In the past six years, over 150 New York towns have banned fracking, or at least prohibited fracking for the time being. Proponents of shale-oil gas drilling and fracking might be upset by the bans, but opponents remain focused on the health and safety of New York citizens.
From The Poughkeepsie Journal:
“‘I hope our victory serves as an inspiration to people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina, California and elsewhere who are also trying to do what’s right for their own communities,’ Dryden Town Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner said in a statement.”
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.