Letter: Fracking phobia is overblown
Workers move a section of well casing into place at a Chesapeake Energy natural gas well site near Burlington, Pa., in Bradford County. So vast is the wealth of natural gas locked into dense rock deep beneath Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Ohio that some geologists estimate it's enough to supply the entire East Coast for 50 years. But freeing it requires a powerful drilling process called hydraulic fracturing or "fracking,"using millions of gallons of water brewed with toxic chemicals that some fear threaten to pollute water above and below ground, deplete aquifers and perhaps endanger human health and the environment. (April 23, 2010) Credit: AP
I grow weary reading anti-fracking articles that contain the usual recycled misinformation ["Fracking for natural gas isn't worth the risks," Opinion, Nov. 18]. Wouldn't it be nice if Newsday had a few articles by geologists who work for the gas companies and others with technical expertise?
This article begins with misleading semi-truths. For example, the chemicals used that could be considered toxic comprise but a small percentage of the fracking mixture. The remaining mixture is sand, water and harmless additives. Go to Halliburton's website and read the facts as posted. This information is no secret.
As for fracking releasing radioactive materials found in nature, in any form of drilling or mining, these materials would be handled expertly, for the drillers' safety as well as the public's. We did put men on the moon, you know, when we were a country of doers, unlike today.
Fracking has been conducted for over half a century, if vertical and horizontal methods are included. Both are basically the same process, developed by Halliburton, which if we lived in saner times, would earn our deserved esteem.
In the last two years, more than 40 people have died from farming contaminants such as manure in water. Should we ban farming? I am unaware of any such death records for fracking after thousands of wells drilled over a half century. We need real energy -- oil, coal and gas, all of which we are rich in, and but for fearmongering, readily obtained.
Gordon Tomei, Centerport
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
