Attack the Frack

Props to Fredrick Pausch and to The Rep for carrying his considered piece on the analysis that needs to be done before plans are finalized to sell off our turnpikes to privately-owned, profit-making groups.

How goods and services are safely moved across our state is quite important; how we travel matters, in terms of where we decide to go and where we might spend our dollars.

Forethought. Objective analysis. Informed decision-making. All good things most would agree.

Now, just imagine we were talking about something even more important than roads, such as our air and the water that comes from our taps. Don’t you think we should apply the same methodical, thoughtful, scientific approach to making a decision that impacts the essentials of our daily lives—the air we breathe and the water we drink?

The EPA has begun the first systematic and unbiased study of the potential impacts of fracking (hydraulic fracturing--the controversial drilling technique). They expect to finish by the end of 2012. We are willing to wait and see the results of the study regarding the privatization of the turnpike; don’t you think we should be at least that careful when it comes to moving forward with fracking? Doesn’t this seem rather obvious?  What am I missing here?

I call on our elected leaders to represent the best interests of the citizenry and enact a moratorium on fracking like those recently implemented in the United Kingdom, New York, Pittsburgh, and Plain Township.  Let’s wait for the EPA to complete their study; at least then the debate is based on fact and not on supposition. 

And before you pro-fracking folks weigh in, take a breath and realize that the best argument we’ve heard so far for drilling is the same one that drug-dealers and embezzlers offer: hey, we needed the money.

*versions of this piece appeared in The Canton Rep and the Akron Beacon Journal--