My first diary! Yippie! I can't really think of anything too profound at the moment, but I really want to share this.
On Nov. 29th, the DEC (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) held a public forum at my college regarding fracking coming to New York. There were two forums, from 1-4 in the afternoon and 6-9 at night. The 1-4 was packed, with a line going partly around the building. Luckily, as a student I could just float freely though the building, and sat down to watch the hearings live on TV in another wing of the school.
What I heard made me sad. There were so many drilling proponents calling opposition to fracking, "fear mongering," and saying, "we need the jobs now!!"
While I agree that this area really does need jobs, drilling isn't the answer. Opposition is only fear mongering if you ignore our PA neighbors' newly flammable tap water.
I decided that I couldn't just sit there, holding back the urge to shout at the TV. I had to get up and speak during the evening hearings. I grabbed my bag and ran to the office of a most wonderful and brilliant professor who gave me the New York Times article that I cite in my speech, and the encouragement to get up in front of a packed theater and live TV cameras to speak my peace.
So without further ado, here is what I said during my three minutes in the spotlight...
My name is Lauren M____. I am 25 years old, a student here at Sullivan, and I've lived in this area for most of my life.
I've been listening to people speak today, and I've heard many people mistakenly refer to the opposition to fracking as fear-mongering.
The fact is that there is scientific proof tying contamination of well water to natural gas drilling operations. This past spring, a study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that was conducted at Duke University. This study compared water samples taken from wells within an active drilling area – six tenths of a mile or less from a gas well – to water taken from outside the active drilling area. The water from the active drilling area was found to have methane levels an average of 17 times higher than the water from outside the active drilling area.
In spite of these scientific findings, drilling proponents still dismiss our concerns over water pollution. They contend that there are no documented cases of a freshwater aquifer being contaminated by fracking. However, as The New York Times reported this past August, the EPA published a report in 1987 discussing the case of Mr. James Parson of Jackson County, West Virginia. Mr. Parson's well was contaminated not only by natural gas, but also by fracking fluids. This contamination rendered Mr. Parson's water unusable.
One EPA official involved with a current study being conducted on the risks of fracking on drinking water said that the agency encountered continuing challenges to get access to current cases because of legal settlements.”
The New York Times was able to contact Mr. Parson for an interview, but he said he could not comment on the case. Records indicate that in 1987 he reached a settlement with the drilling company for an undisclosed amount.
It seems in order to settle for damages that ARE caused by drilling, you need to agree to keep your mouth shut about the damage THAT WAS done. That way, the industry can continue to claim no documented cases.
And now I stand before the DEC and the public, asking that you do what the title of your agency suggests – conserve the environment. Do not bow to the money and slanted science presented by those who would profit by poisoning our water. The gas industry does not care about the damage they will do. They are not bound by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and would drill within 1000 feet of the aging pipes that carry drinking water to NYC if permitted.
I understand the concerns over jobs in this area, but no job is worth our health and the contamination of our water. We would all benefit much more from creating jobs that would repair the pothole ridden roads and old bridges we travel daily. An investment in infrastructure and education would prove beneficial not only to those hired, but to the public at large.
Don't sell us out for short term benefits. Our health, our water which is so vital to life, is priceless. Keep working for the people. Maintain the integrity of your agency, and don't put yourselves up for sale to big oil and gas.