A Call for Help to Our Leadership

October 18, 2010 |

Author myles

We in Monroe County are incredibly fearful that our land will be destroyed as we have seen happen in other states and counties. We stand fearful together with our friends in neighboring counties, like Greenbrier, Pocahontas and Summers, as well as those who have suffered already from hydraulic fracturing and related activities, like Wetzel and Marshall County. We have followed every detail of the battles in NY and PA, have read every headline – and the thought that our little county could be ravaged by this process dominates every conversation, keeps us up at night and haunts us while we sleep.

The karst here is county-wide; dye traces have shown underground water traveling miles in any direction – everything is connected! The water table is a network of underground and above ground waterways, and a land full of sinkholes, caves, fissures, crevices, etc – using hydraulic fracture (so perfectly engineered to seep and crack and expand) in such a place is way worse than irresponsible – it is an absurdity. There is NO WAY this will not mess up the water!!!

Our land is our most precious resource and it is our responsibility to find energy solutions that DO NOT DESTROY THE FUNDAMENTALS OF LIFE.

To say, “whatever, yeah, it sucks, but we gotta get the fuel some way” is NOT OK. This notion that since we need fuel (and need it we do, without question) that we should accept as our position that our pristine land will be annihilated in the process? There must be another way. Find it, figure it out. Saying the best option is to spray poison into the ground in karst terrain?

I say a pox on the options.

The oil & gas companies have had one generalized response to explain their connection to the travesties that follow their drilling activities – “not connected. Prove it.”

Right. So the massive increase in earthquakes? Coincidence. The contaminated water left behind? Must be from something else – fracking didn’t cause it.

Seriously? We all know better. And you all know better.

But this response will not hold up for ever – the facts are starting to trickle in, the studies are being conducted – and so what we know, and what you know – soon everyone is going to know. As many of you know, the DEP just ordered a well closed in WV after it burned uncontrollably for days, and finally cited the drillers for fouling the water. Definitive, scientific evidence that fracking can kill the water table is forthcoming – in this we are confident.

This is an international crisis and should be viewed as nothing less. We have hopes that our leaders, our legislators – will spend the time to become educated on this topic thoroughly – because anyone who does could never deny the connection between hydraulic fracture and very bad things happening to the environment, including contamination of the water table. We are confident that our leaders will act NOW based on the best information at hand – new legislation in 2012, etc may not be soon enough to save us. Extrapolate from the facts and make a good guess.

Easy, right? Must we await months or years of studies to demonstrate what we inherently know? How many acres of land will be ravaged in the meantime? Only 10-50% (from Gordy Oil) of the frack fluid is recovered? That means 50-90% of the several million gallons stays in…the…ground? Rather than ask how is it possible that hydraulic fracture damages the environment ask how it is possible it will not!

We are another community who is saying NO! This is our land and we love it! No fracking! We endeavor, collectively, to SavetheWaterTable.

~m