Does the right see no clues here?
In response to Martin J. Uttich’s Nov. 2 Fence Post letter (Does the left see no clues here?) on our energy policy (more drilling), let’s see. Per one report on fracking: “Some parts of rural Pennsylvania have already paid a horrific price when fracking went wrong. In the town of Dimock, also in Susquehanna County, problems with the cement casing on 20 wells drilled by Cabot Oil & Gas have caused contamination of local water wells, driving down property values and causing sickness. Levels of methane in some Dimock water wells are so high that homeowners are able to set water aflame as it comes out of their taps.”
Where has more drilling gotten Wyoming? Wyoming has the worst air quality of any state in the U.S. due to natural gas exploration.
As for the ”drill, baby drill” oil energy policy, that hasn’t gotten us very far, has it? Let’s see, a foreign country (BP) drills in the gulf coast, contaminates the water with a dreadful oil spill catastrophe, and uses toxic dispersant to try and clean it up. This should be our grand energy policy?
Meanwhile, the oil barons of the U.S. are pushing for a pipeline to be built so Canada’s oil extracted from coal tar can be transported cheaply to Texas for refining. Mobil is responsible for an oil leak in the pristine Yellowstone River this past year, and our energy policy should be to allow more of this? This is considered a “boom” for our country?
It looks more like the special interest oil and gas lobbyists control our government, are given free clearance to do whatever they need to do to make money, and leave the rest of us with contaminated air and water. Unfortunately, we can’t eat and drink money. Does the right see any clues here?
Christine Frantzen
Naperville