Here & There Column 5-25-10

To Drill Or Not To Drill

To drill or not to drill is certainly not a dental question in Sullivan County.
If one wanted controversy and staunch support for and against natural gas drilling this subject has really stirred the sometimes political pot.
What is at stake here is the Marcellus Shale which is a black shale formation extending deep underground from Ohio and West Virginia northeast into Pennsylvania and southern New York including parts of Sullivan County.
The subject about the natural gas resources of the Marcellus shale formation have been known a long time but the depth and tightness of the shale made gas exploration and extraction expensive and difficult.
The reason interest is now the topic of the day is because of recent enhancements to gas well development technology.....specifically horizontal and hydraulic fracturing.
Questions raised deal with environmental and community impacts with most concerns related to water use and management and the composition of the fluids used for fracturing the shale.
The quantity of water needed for hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus shale is said to require large volumes of water.
It's firmly stated that the New York State DEC regulatory program oversees drilling and is responsible for protecting the environment, water resources and public water supplies.
Today, with energy prices at record highs, extracting this gas looks to be affordable and energy companies along with landowners are lining up to reap profits potentially worth billions.
Gas companies are ready to spend a billion dollars or more on infrastructure investments in upstate New York.
Environmental groups and opponents to the drilling indicate that there are hundreds of things that can go wrong when a company receives a permit to drill.
Those supporting drilling say twice as many people favor drilling as oppose it. Supporters say leasing of land and the drilling will bring millions into a state that is economically dying.
Financially strapped counties will also benefit supporters of drilling say and there would be the creation of thousands of jobs.
Could this become the biggest boom in Sullivan County history?
Can this drilling process be done safely and will our water resources be protected?
To drill or not to drill?...... maybe a county or state referendum should be put to everyone and let the folks voice their opinion at the ballet box.