[Durham INC] FW: Fracking in North Carolina

[Marge Nordstrom]

An fyi regarding an email I sent today.  Comments are due at 11:59 p.m.
tomorrow night...ugh.

 

From: Marge Nordstrom [mailto:mnordstrom at nc.rr.com] 
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2012 11:54 AM
To: 'Shale_gas_comments at ncdenr.gov'
Subject: Fracking in North Carolina

 

Dear NCDENR:

 

I am writing to you to express my opposition to hydraulic fracturing in
North Carolina.  I am in favor of cleaner fuels and more independence
regarding our energy resources, but I am opposed to fracking for many
reasons, a few of which are listed below:

 

.         My understanding is that 2-5 million gallons of fresh water are
required for each drill site.  We live with year-round water restrictions
and have had some frightening experiences with water shortages in recent
years, most notably 2007.  We cannot afford to have our water issues
exacerbated.

.         There is significant potential of pollution to our water supplies
based on the chemicals pumped into the ground and contamination of the
residual water that is created from the process.  For example, even though
the Pennsylvania state government and energy companies deny adverse effects
from fracking, I do not believe that what's happening in Amwell Township is
coincidental and independent of the hydraulic fracturing in that area.  

.         Proponents say the process is safe as long as it is tightly
regulated.  That says to me two things-first, the "right" regulations would
need to be created, and second, they would need to be enforced.  I don't
have confidence that either of those would happen.  As we all know, money
"talks"-the energy companies have the money to get lax regulations passed,
and with the continuous cutting of the NC state budgets, it is unlikely
there would be appropriate resources available to enforce regulations.  As a
result of the "Halliburton Loophole", companies are not required to disclose
the chemicals going into the ground, and hydraulic fracturing is exempt from
the Safe Drinking Water Act.  That says to me that the possibility of
passing tight regulations is already "watered down".

.          Proponents claim the addition of jobs in NC if fracking is
implemented.  I believe the majority of those jobs would go to people from
out of state because we do not have the people with the appropriate skills.

.         I have not seen anything in the materials I've read that addresses
how the gas retrieved from the wells would be transported.  We do not have
large pipelines in North Carolina like other states that extract and
transport fuels.  Some might say that it could be sold locally, but to my
knowledge, NC doesn't have a large industry base that uses natural gas.  How
would it be transported?  Would the next thing be lobbying for building
pipelines?  

Thank you and I sincerely hope North Carolina does not proceed with this
initiative,

Margaret Nordstrom

1129 Anderson Street, Durham, NC 27705

 

 

 

 

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