Letters: Fracking needs independent study

I could not believe the letter writer who said that the fear of hydraulic fracturing is unreasonable ["Fracking phobia is real, overblown," Nov. 30]. He should Google "Dimock, Penn." The people there have had their wells contaminated with methane and other chemicals used by Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. during fracking. The residents reached a settlement of $4.1 million with the company.

People were actually able to light the water coming out of their taps on fire. The fact that the letter writer wants us to go to Halliburton's website to check the facts is not only hilarious but insulting to anyone who was alive during the Bush administration. Isn't that the same company that overbilled the U.S. government by hundreds of millions of dollars during the Iraq War and was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for fraud? Yeah, I'd trust them with the facts.

The writer lost me the minute he cited Halliburton's website. Of course they support their industry's position.

There are numerous scientific studies that have been conducted that cite the inherent dangers of hydrofracking shale, including some conducted by Cornell University scientists.

In addition, the waste produced by fracking is suspected of killing animals. The process has despoiled agricultural lands and brought heavy trucking and massive equipment into rural areas, causing irreparable harm to the environment and quality of life.