I am educated in geology... Fracking is dangerous if the people that drill and concrete the hole do a poor job. PA is trying to pass a law to have them inspected, fracking just came out of nowhere so fast and it takes time to pass laws. I spoke with John Hanger, the previous Secretary of Dep. of Env. Protection... It is undeniable that abandoned coal mines are worse for the environment then fracking. Ever hear of remediaton? An 8million dollar budget just passed to work on remediating polluted water coming out of abandoned coal mines... Anyhoo fracking is done below the water table, all depends on if the driller/cementor is competent or not.

I'm not a Tea Party guy myself, though I am Republican. My real question to you is why you felt the need to comment that Obama is black? Does that matter to you? If so, shame on you. I don't care for the man's politics, didn't vote for him and certainly won't vote for him in November, but the color of his skin has absolutely nothing to do with it and if it does for you, then shame on you!

@Ben, I guess that was a stupid analogy. My apologies. I' have nothing against any race or religion. Maybe I should have said something like, the Tea Party saying they are bi-partisan is like saying water isn't wet. Everyone knows they are extreme right wing. I guess a lot of Republicans don't care for them either. Although I'm not happy with everything Obama does, I still would never vote for a guy like Romney. Just my two cents.

Believe me when I tell you Romney is NOT a tea party candidate. But he is the only alternative to Obama

All that is staged. You know that, don't you. They show you what they WANT you to see. Everything about fracking is just wrong. Every bit of it. Those that are in favor of this practice I would challenge them to have the companies blast in their neighborhood. Bet ya dollars to donuts they will back off. "Not in my backyard" should be "Not in Pennsylvania's back yard". And eventually not In the USA backyards.

slyfox is one of those ultra-Liberal conspiracy theorists. She'd rather we buy natural gas from some other country and become dependant on them. My house and everyone in our neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods, are heated with natural gas. Our stoves, dryers and water heaters run on it too. It's the same in Easton, Bethlehem and Allentown.

The whole thing is blown out of proportion. They've been extracting natural gas this way for over 60 years. It's only become a big issue now because some liberal politicians chose to use it as a platform, pandering for votes from the eco-people.

They did the same thing with the Iraq war and claiming it was a "war for oil", even though Saddam Hussein killed over 200,000 of his own people (Al-Anfal Campaign), many of whom died by those same weapons of mass destruction you believe did not exist. Hussein destroyed nearly 5,000 Iraqi small towns, invaded countries on both sides of his country and was developing nuclear weapons. THAT is why we went to war with him. And by the way, slyfox and all your buddies, the US has proven that Saddam moved his chemical weapons to Syria prior to the invasion, which you all denied. How do you deny them now, that the Syrian leadership has pulled them out of storage and is threatening to use them against us?

I can appreciate that. You're right, a lot of Republicans DON'T agree with that fringe of the party. I'm a Conservative, but I don't agree with everything the party says, eyes blindfolded, like a robot. They call me a RHINO for that, "Republican in name only." Whatever.

Last comment was meant for Lower Saucon Guy

Regards the water in Dimock and what is "staged"...

The US EPA came out with it's report on the water just last week.
Some quotes:

" EPA has determined that it is no longer necessary to provide residents with alternative water."

"At one of those wells EPA did find an elevated level of manganese in untreated well water. The two residences serviced by the well each have water treatment systems that can reduce manganese to levels that do not present a health concern."

"Overall during the sampling in Dimock, EPA found hazardous substances, specifically arsenic, barium or manganese, all of which are also naturally occurring substances, in well water at five homes at levels that could present a health concern. In all cases the residents have now or will have their own treatment systems that can reduce concentrations of those hazardous substances to acceptable levels at the tap. EPA has provided the residents with all of their sampling results and has no further plans to conduct additional drinking water sampling in Dimock."
-------------------------------
The contaminants are naturally occurring substances treatable at the residences.
-------------------------------
The report is here:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/1A6E49D193E1007585257A46005B61AD

You can Google and find more about this report.
While you're on Google find out how water catches fire:
http://bit.ly/MmqAQp

I'm sick of people spouting off about the dangers of fracking when they don't have the facts.... and who comment on here hiding behind some clever alias cause they're afraid to do it with thier identity known.

@slyfox
so reports showing the side you disagree with are staged, but the other side wound NEVER do that right? Like ignoring the fact that there has been methane in people's water (that you could light on fire) for decades. (and that is just as far back as we have recorded that I would bet the farm that it was possible before people started trying it) Some claim that they were never able to do it before fracking started, but honestly, how many people think: you know what I am going to try to light my water on fire, just to see if it can happen. before a gas well goes in?

I am in favor of shale drilling, and there is a very good chance that members of my family WILL have a gas well in their back yard, (quite literally) and guess what they support it too. So just because you don't want it in your metaphorical back yard, you want to stop people who do want it in their literal back yard.

By the way... all your comments on subjects like the Limerick Nuclear Plant, Guns, Politicians, etc., are available to anyone who simply clicks on your name.

Besides, I just say what I feel in my heart. If you want to slap a label on it, go ahead. That's fine. I just speak what I feel. That's all.

Why would you say she is ultra-liberal? Do you know her? Have you met her? Has she identified herself as an liberal? Then who are you to declare who or what SHE is simply because you don't agree with her?

There is no such thing as a safe well casing. In time, they ALL break down. Read (if you care to be informed with facts) or watch the information put out by Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, an acclaimed Cornell University engineer. Not only is hydraulic fracturing not safe, but it cannot be made safe.

Hydraulic fracturing is called "nonconventional gas drilling." It's called nonconventional because it has only been done since 2005. Gas drilling has been around for 60 years, but not this form.

Although many of these compounds, including methane, are naturally occurring, up until now they have been sequestered in the bedrock. The process of hydraulic fracturing creates openings/pathways for these compounds to migrate and enter our drinking water supply and our environment. I challenge anyone who thinks these are "safe" amounts, to go up to Dimock and drink tap water out of someone's contaminated well.

Thank you. May God bless you as well.

I was born in Wellsboro, all I have to do is talk to my relatives that are still there about it. We did that 'tap water on fire' trick when we were kids, decades before fracking came into PA.

Why am I not surprised someone who lives in Lower Saucon Township, one of the wealthiest areas in the state, would not understand what it's like up there? Real easy to look down your nose and say "just do something else or move." After all, it's not your family living in poverty.

You shouldn't make assumptions. You couldn't be more wrong. I used to live in Rushville, Pa, not far from Dimock. I lived in a 20 x 24 ft. cabin on 1000 acres of farmland. I didn't even have running water and used an outhouse. I grew my own food and lived off the land, so I know what poverty is. I don't care what you call it, trick or not, it's not good to be able to light your water. My daughter still lives in Tunkhannock in a trailer. We know what it's like not to have money. It is hard to make a living up there. That's why I moved. I had twelve jobs in one year in a Good economy. I don't look down my nose at you or your family.

please move back to dimwitville thanks

@ Glenn. Open ass insert head. I didn't own it. I only owned the one acre it stood on, and the farmer couldn't sell me any more land, it was locked up. Sorry to disappoint you.

Lower Saucon Guy, how did you live on 1000 acres if you only owned 1 acre, so sick and tired of your constant lies on these forums

I forgot to mention, I was treated like family and told I could roam the property freely. That's why I could say I lived on 1000 acres. The people in Dimwitville were so much more aware of their humanity than a lot of city folk.

LSG, then you should know that water in parts of the state could be set on fire for decades, well before fracking came into the state. I also haven't seen your response to the EPA report debunking the entire Dimock myth.

I'm happy for you that you were able to move out. What about those who can't, like apparently your daughter?

@bystander. I saw a segment on 60 minutes where they had an interview with about eight people that lived in Dimock. They were saying that their water supply was now shot from the fracking. The report says otherwise. Who's telling the truth. I didn't know about setting the water on fire for decades. This is never a good thing no matter how it originated. I do understand the need for the money the gas companied are paying. I lived there and know there are no jobs. Somehow, though people settled in the area and made a living without the gas revenue, long before it was known about the deposits. My daughter is not trapped up there, she likes it up there. I offered to help her relocate and she doesn't want to hear about it. She di tell me how the drillers have screwed up the area for the locals by driving up the rent prices etc. I loved it up in the mountains and if I could have stayed I would have,

@Lower Saucon Guy
you asked:

"Who's telling the truth."

How about the people who did the testing?. The Federal (NOT state) EPA. The EPA that has been under the control of the most "environmentally friendly administration" ever for over 3 years?

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/1A6E49D193E1007585257A46005B61AD

You brought Dimock into this conversation, the EPA brought the facts.

@Wayne. I read the article 2 times. All I can say is that I'm happy that there wasn't any permanent damage to the water supply. I have grandchildren and am very concerned as to what kind of planet they will grow up on. I saw the 60 minutes segment and it struck a nerve since I used to live in that neck of the woods. I guess then, that according to the EPA report, those people were lying. I don't know what their incentive would have been, They had more money than they could spend anyhow.

@ Lower Saucon Guy
you said:

"All I can say is that I'm happy that there wasn't any permanent damage to the water supply."

Perhaps you should read it again? The "damage" is naturally occurring minerals in some of the well water. Like some well water around here might smell of "rotten eggs" due to sulfer content. It's not due to anyone's action, it just is. It is permanent, but treatable.

There is no "real discussion" if it begins with:
"I do not need anyone to tell me..."

If you don't want to attend the meeting that the article is telling us about, that's just fine. But understanding both sides of an issue is how you have a "real discussion". Don't you think?

I own 91 acres in NY state. thanks to people like you The gas company CAN'T drill on it. If they did, I'd be the first to take a celebratory cold drink from my well.

@ Glenn Albert Hoffert I own 150 acres in Lehigh County and have earned an honest living off of mother nature as a honest hard working farmer. You would think at age 56 and a birthday on the eve of September 11th you would have a better grasp of reality

@ F### Randall, oooo so you know all about me.... you're just another A- hole who likes to comment behind anonimity.. I'm done here.. can't argue with stupidity

Apparently, Arthur is new to the party. People who live in the area where this is being done have been lighting water for years, long before fracking. The government study was just released a few days ago and found the practice to be safe and practical. I know it doesn't fit in with the Liberal talking points, but it's a non-partisan study, conducted by engineers, geologists and chemists who studied samples of the earth, water and "contaminated" air.

Here's a link to the study, conducted by the United States EPA (controlled by President Obama, so you can't say it's biased towards Republicans in PA)-http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/1A6E49D193E1007585257A46005B61AD

Arthur, I would never call you stupid about this or any other subject. I was trying to make a little joke of the way I responded and I apologize for it coming off as condescending. That said, I am NOT a Tea Party member, which I noted a couple posts above this. I also agree that lighting the water is indicative of a problem, but it's not related to fracking.