I have cut and pasted some salient remarks below from an article written by someone that can only be described as an INDUSTRY INSIDER and seriously encourage ALL THOSE IN THE ANTI FRACKING movement to read this article. Some of the things this insider has to say are breath taking in their scope, and really confirm our WORST FEARS.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Poised to Take Control of Regulating and Banning Hydraulic Fracturing "Fracking"
March 3, 2011 (Investorideas Newswire) - Mr. Miller is part of many industry and governmental working groups regarding the Oil and Natural Gas Oversight and Regulation.
It has not become a foregone conclusion that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be given full authority and mandate to regulate any and all activities surrounding Hydraulic Fracturing, to include an imminent ban on the injection of all toxic chemicals into the ground, imposition of major fines for violations of the Clean Water Act, and designation of De-facto superfund/clean up sites in major drilling areas already seriously contaminated by the Natural Gas and Drilling Producers.
The future of Hydraulic Fracturing "Fracking" in the Continental U.S. is very much at risk given the undeniable facts that the process can't be conducted without the use of toxic chemicals, contamination of water tables, use of known carcinogens known to be harmful to humans and violation of the U.S. Clean Water Act.
Mr. Miller is a major supporter and advocate for the environmentally responsible development and production of Oil and Natural Gas in the U.S.
According to Mr. Miller:
- The Oil and Natural Gas industry has brought a critical self inflicted crisis upon itself by failing to act in an environmentally responsible manner regarding the use of hydraulic fracturing. In one fell sweep, the industry has become the primary target of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), State and Federal lawmakers, and most importantly, the general public.
- The injection of toxic chemicals in to Oil and Natural Gas wells, many chemicals which are clearly known to be harmful to the environment, water tables, and human beings represents a catastrophic failure of the Oil and Natural Gas producers in the U.S.
- Given the continued abuse by the natural Oil and Natural Gas and mounting incidents of water table contamination, fires and other drilling related problems in high and low density populated areas, and the pending law that will in essence "kill fracking" by virtue of eliminating the use of toxic chemicals in production wells, leads to the conclusion that the States and Federal Government will in unison and individually start to ban fracking operations across the U.S.
- The first permanent drilling bans will occur in the Eastern U.S. in the Marcellus Shale formation in New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. This geographic area has already been severely damaged by Natural Gas Fracking and substantial legal actions are pending and many more are forthcoming against production companies.
There does not appear to be any way for the Oil and Natural Gas industry to lobby itself out of this critical problem, which many industry experts consider a death nail to many natural gas producers. Public opinion is overwhelmingly now against "Hydraulic Fracking" and we see the momentum to ban the practice outright in a majority of the U.S. as irreversible.
