Guest column: Public forum just a publicity event in support of fracking

Claims of energy independence are undercut by the fact companies are contracting to sell the gas to Europe and China, and even the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' own literature admits that the available gas will satisfy demand for only about 14 years ("Environmental Regulatory Basics," July 2011). Investment in renewable energy would move us toward independence faster.

Accidents from horizontal fracturing are well documented. In Pennsylvania, 13 percent of fracked wells resulted in contaminated ground water; in Dimmock, Penn., the figure was 33 percent. You-Tube videos from there reveal an industrial wasteland. In Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Colorado people who lived near drilling sites lost all the value of their property because of water contamination. The EPA found evidence of hazardous chemicals including 2-butoxyethanol, benzene, acetone, toluene, and naphthalene at 50 times their safety levels. The claim that these chemicals should be considered innocuous because they can be found in household products is disingenuous because as products they are sold in small quantities and contain warnings about serious effects from ingestion. Even if the exorbitant claims of wealth and jobs bear some truth, neither compensates for threats to health.

n the event of environmental damage, the burden of proof is on individuals against big energy companies with massive resources. Even Republican Attorney General Michael DeWine recommends that stronger regulations be put in place before more drilling permits are issued.

http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20120219/OPINION02/202190317