The oil and gas industries have been selling a vision regarding fracking, as drilling for natural gas is called. Too many people have been persuaded that this is a solution for our need for more energy. The ads tout clean energy, more jobs, safety.
News from a neighboring state is very disturbing. In Finleyville, Pa., where fracking began in 2008, there are many serious problems.
Trucks and heavy machinery started to change everything. Homes became unlivable. Houses vibrated, they were filled with continuous noise. Air quality reports and gas odors forced inhabitants to flee. A pregnant woman was advised to move away from a drilling site.
By 2013, homeowners were offered $50,000 to sign away their rights to hold the drilling corporation, EQT, responsible for any negative consequences for the already negative consequences and for any in the future!
This would include noise, dust, light, smoke, odors, fumes, soot, air pollution, or vibrations. Can you think of anything more?
Beyond the above, the liability releases would exempt the drillers from damages related to drilling, construction of pipelines, power lines, roads, tanks, ponds, pits, compressor stations, houses and buildings.
Wow, what a list of things drilling can damage!
What would anyone conclude from their desire to protect the drillers from lawsuits, all the while insisting that fracking is so safe that it cannot damage the environment, health, or quality of life?
The drillers have had five years to prove how safe fracking is. It is easy to see that the experiment has proved that the consequences of fracking confirms the direst predictions.
Do we need any more evidence to convince our governments that it is their duty to protect us from any more “experiments”? And Pennsyvania is just one example. This is happening in several other states.
So far, anti-fracking advocates in New York State have persuaded Gov. Cuomo to delay permission to drillers to commence work in New York State. He does not need any more studies to prove he must permanently reject drilling here. There are live studies galore to look at and to draw the same conclusion. Reject fracking in New York State!
Oil and gas companies are in a big hurry to make lots of money before we learn too much about what they are up to.
Sustainable sources of energy that will not destroy our environment already are being proven to be safe. Let’s have a little more patience and turn to hydroelectricity, solar, wind, wave power, geothermal energy, tidal power.
And let’s improve energy efficiency.
More about that later.
Esther Confino
New Hyde Park
