North Carolina recently discovered large reserves of natural gas-- which are currently unreachable due to state laws prohibiting deep shale gas drilling, also known as fracking.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of drilling and blasting water, sand and various chemicals into the ground at high pressure to crack underground shale and extract natural gas.
In light of these new energy findings, however, state officials will have to weigh the benefits and put rules in place before deciding whether to allow the drilling.
"'North Carolina has an existing law that prohibits horizontal drilling, which limits fracking, so we have the opportunity to be thoughtful and not rush into development of this industry before we’re ready,' said Bill Holman, director of state policy at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions (Reese News)."
The state legislature this year is expected to debate legalizing the fracking techniques that would be used to retrieve a supposed 40-year supply of natural gas trapped in shale rock reserves sitting below Lee, Moore, Chatham, Durham and Wake counties (News&Observer).
Although the state seems to be taking the neccessary steps to gather research and garner knowlegde, it also is considering the possible negative effects of drilling.
While natural gas is efficient and clean-burning, it is also expensive and poses threats to the environment, and more specifically the water supply, durring the extraction process.
Like many hot-button topics, fracking has attracted national attention due to countless news stories of flamable facuet water and sudden illnesses of the people who live in the areas that currently allow drilling.
While the controversy is heated and complicated, the state must eventually make the simple decision: To frack or not to frack.
Helpful Links:
EPA official background information on fracking:
http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/wells_hydrowhat.cfm
Recent EPA news release about findings at a Wyoming well site:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/EF35BD26A80D6CE3852579600065C94E
Contradictory to the link above, a recent study from the University of Texas (keep in mid that this study does not take human error into account):
http://www.utexas.edu/news/2012/02/16/energy_insitute_hydraulic_fracturing_groundwater_contamination/
Varrying veiwpoints on fracking:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/07/idUS294056914520110607
Reese news story on fracking in NC- highlights our proximity to the issue:
http://reesenews.org/2011/06/06/nc-counties-could-face-natural-gas-drilling/16418/
Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Ass. dubbed NC as "the next natural gas hotspot:"
http://oipa.com/custom/shownewsmulti.php?action=detail&id=217
Recent event held at Duke highlights the dangers of fracking:
http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/01/10/1765948/event-at-duke-posits-risks-of.html
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