Let’s Talk Water

Posted on June 27, 2014 on MLAWD.org

More than 15 million people live within one mile of an oil well that has been drilled since 2000. We know that the Great Lakes provide about 20% of the world’s fresh water. Oil and gas has leased 84,000 acres of national forest along the Great Lakes and much more inland. These waters and others are being threatened, so the importance of our fresh water cannot be overstated.

Some say that there is no proof that fracking is harmful. I will name a few proven incidents that provide reason for great alarm. Steve Lipsky in Parker County, Texas and others have complained of methane in their water since 2010. News 8 recently reported that scientists have proven through isotopic analysis that fracking is to blame for the methane contamination of the Lipsky’s well. The Texas regulatory agency continues to use the “deny and delay” tactics to enable this practice to continue.

In August 2013, an Analysis of Fish from Acorn Fork Creek, Kentucky Exposed to Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids Release, found that a major fish die off was due to a surface spill of hydraulic fracturing fluids into a stream.

Shale gas is a black hole for water use. The Environment America Research and Policy Center reports that in 2012, 280 billion gallons of toxic wastewater were generated by fracking. Michigan still holds the record for the largest amount used for a single well- 21 million gallons. The DEQ has put permits into company hands allowing extraction of many billions more.

We know that there are many chemicals added to the water to assist in the fracking process. Let’s talk about one – benzene. We already know benzene causes leukemia. Do we really want to wait 20-30 years for another study to show that when benzene is used in fracking that this also can cause leukemia?

Did you know that just because state land is classified as ‘nondevelopment’, this doesn’t protect it from the effects of fracking? Roads, traffic, tanks, water well drilling, pipelines and other industrial infrastructure are allowed on this land that is subject to leasing. Oil and gas companies state that the state and state regulators should have control over where they drill, but it seems like a conflict of interest with the MDEQ making millions for the auctioning of these mineral leases.

We are being asked to trust companies that have been accused in Michigan of racketeering and fraud. So far State and Federal leaders have either passed the buck or exempted them from regulations that were once in place. According to a recent survey by University of Michigan, a majority of Michigan residents would support a moratorium on additional fracking until more is known about the possible risks. Let’s not waste any more time and water.

#water #fracking #greatlakes #mlawd