State Hearings Begin Today on Fracking in NC
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
SANFORD, N.C. - A meeting today in Sanford marks the North Carolina public's first chance to hear from state officials about the controversial process of fracking, where natural gas is extracted from the ground with horizontal drillings, after rock formations deep underground are fractured with chemicals.
While supporters see the financial benefits to the state and some landowners, others are concerned about the impact on the environment and public safety, and point to the impact of fracking already seen in states where it is currently allowed. Environmental groups say there is no regulation or infrastructure in North Carolina to help guide the process.
Randy Voller is the mayor of Pittsboro, where local people voted to oppose fracking until more is known about it. He says the decision on whether to allow fracking should be left at the local level and not made by lawmakers in Raleigh.
"The problem with that is that, when you're dealing with issues like this, a small number of lobbyists representing a narrow group of industries can have an outsized impact."
Because North Carolina has no existing pipeline to transport the natural gas, it's expected that it would be transported via the state's interstate highway system, prompting even more concern about the impact on local communities' safety and their infrastructure. There are reports in other states of fracking affecting the groundwater supply and air quality.
A report released last week by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources brought up several concerns about fracking specific to North Carolina, but Molly Diggins, State Director of the North Carolina Sierra Club, said the conclusion from the report stating that fracking could be done safely is misleading, since so much is still unknown about the technology.
"The conclusion that fracking can be done safely was not supported by the findings. The findings raised even more questions."
Those questions Diggins refers to include an inability to dispose of wastewater because of the geography of the state and the fact the state has no existing regulations to protect land or residents.
More information on hearings can be found at tinyurl.com/4376r26.
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