Everyone has an agenda; consider the source. Hydrofracking has been a big issue in New York state for years, with plenty of conflicting information being pumped into the public consciousness.

Parsing together a straight answer on hydrofracking is nearly impossible. It requires examining every stakeholder in a situation. This includes landowners, residents, natural gas companies, government and everyone who drinks water.

Hydrofracking currently is not permitted in New York, but a decision will be made later this year that may end up permitting hydrofracking.

Hydrofracking is a type of natural gas drilling where water and other chemicals are forced thousands of feet underground to break up shale. Shale is a porous rock that can hold natural gas in its cracks and crevices. Hydrofracking allows that natural gas to be extracted.

There is controversy criticizing the quantity of water used, how the wastewater is treated and possible water contamination. It has also been lauded as a clean, domestic fuel that will create jobs. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, a lot can be learned by researching each side.

Mike Doyle, a supporter of hydrofracking and member of the New York State Petroleum Council, wrote: ‘This highly regulated industry is committed to protecting the water supply, and history has demonstrated it can do so.’

But fracking is not regulated by the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act or Superfund regulations. The lack of hydrofracking regulation was written into the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 on purpose.

Upstate New York has lost most of the manufacturing industry that used to sustain the area. Some landowners see leasing their land to allow for hydrofracking as a way to alleviate economic hardships and save for retirement. And taking away a means of financial independence should not be done lightly.

Chefs for Marcellus is a group of restaurateurs who see shale gas as a threat to New York City’s water supply and the small farms from which they purchase local ingredients. These chefs are wary of buying from farmers in areas where hydrofracking is happening.

Even if a farmer has not leased their land for drilling, their neighbors could be, and their soil and water could be contaminated with benzenes, salts and heavy metals. Losing one or two restaurant buyers could ruin a small farm.

The amount of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale has been said to be estimated in many different units. It has been estimated as $1 trillion dollars, 50 trillion cubic feet, 40 years of the state’s current consumption rate, a 2-year supply of gas for the United States.

All of these numbers are potentially true, but statistics are easily manipulated. Those of you who stayed awake during your probability and statistics class should be suspicious. Since when are dollars or years appropriate units for a volume of gas?

None of these statistics address fluctuations in the rate of consumption or the amount of economic activity generated for communities if drilling occurred.

The lifespan of the gas wells is not widely discussed, either. If the wells can only supply less than six years’ worth of gas, as some statistics say, does that mean they will only be operating six years?

Politicians and pro-fracking groups say hydrofracking would create between 30,000 and 80,000 jobs. But these claims do not address whether these jobs are full-time, long-term or if they would employ local people.

Before you come to your own conclusions, reflect on where your information is coming from. Statistics need to be scrutinized as to what information they were based on. Be aware of long-term and short-term consequences for all parties involved. Question anyone who claims you can have it all.

Leanna Mulvihill is a senior forest engineering major and environmental writing and rhetoric minor. Her column appears every Tuesday. She can be reached at lpmulvih@syr.edu or followed on Twitter at @LeannaMulvihill.   

 

Published on March 5, 2012 at 12:00 pm