Monday, October 29, 2012

Sunday Globe Special: Wining About Fracking

"In upstate New York, wine vs. drilling; Grape growers in Finger Lakes fear fracking could spoil pristine region" by Michael Hill  |  Associated Press,  October 28, 2012

Some grape growers fear that if shale gas drilling, or fracking, is allowed in this region of postcard-perfect hills and crystal-clear lakes, the muddy well sites and rumbling trucks will not only endanger the environment but threaten the Finger Lakes’ reputation for pristine beauty....

The Finger Lakes sit atop the Utica shale formation and on the northern fringe of the Marcellus Shale formation, which is being tapped just across the state line in Pennsylvania through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The process involves the injection of massive amounts of chemically treated water into wells, and is denounced by many environmentalists as a danger to drinking water supplies....

Fracking pits residents eager for new economic activity in a job-hungry region against those with environmental concerns. More than 110 upstate New York municipalities have passed moratoriums or outright bans on gas drilling....

At least they are not job thirsty. 

A spokesman for the Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York, a trade group, said fears of a forest of rigs and roads choked with trucks are unfounded. The buildup in New York is expected to be slow, wells will be spaced far apart, and water used in the process will be drawn from nearby ponds, lakes, and streams when possible, instead of being brought in by truck, spokesman Jim Smith said.

That is supposed to make us feel better?

Allied with the drilling companies are hundreds of residents looking forward to new jobs or big profits from leasing their land. Some farmers are among those who would welcome the economic jolt.

Related: Globe $chilling For Shale

Not really a $urpri$e anymore. 

‘‘The drilling operation is temporary and then all there is is a pad and pipe sticking out of the ground,’’ said Gerald Urda, who grows organic vegetables and fruit, including grapes, southeast of the Finger Lakes in Windsor, N.Y. ‘‘I think the two can coexist. It’s not going to be drilling forever, and it’s not going to be the whole area at once.’’

I'm sure water that burns will make great wine. 

--more--"

RelatedNew York suit to review fracking rebuffed

I've got a finger for the frackers. 

Also see: Obama Fracking Up His Chances For Reelection

Here, have a glass of wine.