Is fracking worth the risk for area residents?

Is fracking worth the risk for area residents? by William R. Anderson, February 2, 2013, Bucyrus Telegraph Forum
Have you ever been conned, lied to by omission or trapped by false representation: be it property, services, a used car, fracking? I’m sure something in at least one of these categories has left you with no recourse, or at least with an expensive and inconvenient recovery from the rip-off.

This, I am convinced, will be the inevitable situation created by fracking. Case-in-point: Oil test wells were drilled west of Galion in the late 1950s, and well water in certain areas that was of excellent quality became sulfurous and was corrosive to copper and iron pipes, household hardware and some well pumps. Some people on Nazor Road in Galion drilled deeper wells to avoid the stink and corrosion. Others spent small fortunes on filter units and exchange tanks, five others designed and built aerator tanks to vent off the hazard. This involved a stainless steel, corrosion-resistant well pump, the tank, float control, (750- to 2,000-gallon capacity), a shallow well pump to supply the house and an air pump with timed controls and an underwater air distribution tube in the tank: and, of course, an insect/vermin-proof vent on the tank of at least 30-inch diameter. One family had sulfur problems so bad that neighbors could tell by the odor if they were washing their hands, doing dishes or showering … if the windows were open.

Will the fracking companies or the natural gas company guarantee well owners or municipalities that have auxiliary wells that fracking, other drilling or natural disasters will not affect their wells — or be willing to pay for the necessary filter system, exchange tanks, aerator system or transition to the ever-increasing expense of city water? I have not even addressed the hazards of more than a dozen other common underground pollutants being released into the aquifer.

Probably the gas and fracking companies will have a few more lawyers than you, and will ultimately say, “Sorry about your luck,” as they happily walk hand in hand to the bank. Is playing Russian roulette with water worth the risk: at least for you?

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