The safety of fracking is a common concern for environmental watch groups who oppose its potentially harmful effects. In Maryland, over 40 organizations recently expressed their opinions on fracking, reports Akron Beacon Journal.

The groups signed a letter delivered to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley’s office in opposition to the governor’s action of removing the state’s moratorium on fracking. By opening the state to fracking, opposers claim that both the environment and citizens’ health will be compromised.

In a November poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, 47 percent of the American plurality, 59 percent of Democrats and 53 percent of Independents reportedly oppose increased fracking, but many states are carrying on with the drilling practice.

Via: Akron Beacon Journal > Group renounces Maryland’s proposed fracking regulations