In June, CL wrote about fracking and urged state government to continue the ban on the practice in North Carolina. We had good reasons then, but now Ohio has provided what has to be the best reason yet: it apparently can cause earthquakes.
“Fracking” is short for hydro-fracking, the controversial method of extracting natural gas from shale rock formations by forcibly shooting a toxic mix of chemicals, water and sand into rock formations. The main problems with fracking were 1) it uses millions of gallons of water, which can hurt local water supplies that have to be detoxified later; 2) huge amounts of radioactive material have been found in water supplies near fracking sites; and 3) it can open fractures to freshwater formations and wreak havoc on local water supplies. Large numbers of wells tainted by methane have been reported, as well as major accidents — including a well blowout in Pennsylvania that churned out toxic water and gas for 16 hours. The state levied a $400,000 fine against the companies responsible. People near fracking sites complain of oily-tasting water coming from their taps, and videos of people lighting their tap water on fire are all over the Internet.
And now earthquakes. On Friday, near Youngstown, OH, where fracking has been going on, a number of small earthquakes in quick succession have scared hell out of residents and state officials. The Ohio Natural Resources Department shut down the nearest fluid-injection well, and have now indefinitely postponed opening four other planned wells, until it can figure out if fracking led to the earthquakes.
In North Carolina, gas companies are buying up land in the central area of the state where shale deposits are located, even though, for now, fracking is illegal here. Let the governor know how you feel about fracking in N.C. — and how you feel about man-made earthquakes, for that matter. The phone number for the governor’s Charlotte office is (704) 330-5290; her e-mail address is governor.office@nc.gov.
Meanwhile, check out this great video about fracking, titled “My Water’s On Fire Tonight.”
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This article appears in Jan 3-9, 2012.
First, and again since someone corrected you in your original blog post, it’s “hydraulic fracturing.” “Fracking” may indeed be short for “hydro-fracking”, but explaining one slang term being short for another – especially when the topic is a specific geologic process that can either occur naturally or be induced – is regrettable journalism. Or so I thought until…
You trackback to a blog entry in June before you copy and paste it nearly verbatim in this post only to add the part about earthquakes that “apparently” can be caused by “fracking.” How you know that when you state plainly that the Ohio Natural Resources Dept. is attempting to “figure out if “fracking” led to the earthquakes” is not explained, but wouldn’t it be your civic duty to notify Ohio’s state government that they can save their money as you have the answer in-hand. I enjoy reading CL, as I enjoyed reading alt press before I moved to Charlotte, but putting your news items in blog form does not provide an excuse to abandon journalistic ethics/principles.
Ben, the process is called by various names, including hydraulic fracturing, which is the “official” or “real” name, as well as hydrofracking, and fracking. This isn’t rocket science — the different names run through discussions of the issue wherever you look, and “hydrofracking” is often used as the “official” name, so you can relax about your concern over journalistic principles.
You may also want to educate yourself about news blogs, which usually mix news stories with the writer’s commentary and viewpoint. I chose to say that fracking apparently can cause earthquakes because that’s my viewpoint — it apparently CAN cause earthquakes, if the story from Ohio is accurate. As you noted, I also wrote that the Ohio authorities are looking into it — as authorities everywhere do when something bad happens on their watch — so it should be clear to any reader that the phrase “apparently can cause….” is my own take on the situation. Like I said, this isn’t rocket science.
Also, please tell me that’s not really your picture.
John:
Surely you realize that emotion, not facts, rules this discussion.
On one side you have landowners who are dreaming of becoming the next Beverly Hillbillies and on the other you have people who are having nightmares about their shower becoming a flame thrower.
What is needed is dispassionate scientific study that seeks the truth, not studies that seek to shore up one side or the other.