They’ll flee fracking
I am concerned about gas well drilling and fracking in North Carolina and the possibility that drinking water aquifers may become compromised as a direct result of these activities. Pollution could migrate regionally, flowing into aquifers through unpredicted corridors such as boreholes with breached liners and fittings, fissures, diabasic dikes, underground streams and fractured underground rock.
The companies responsible for this could move out of the area or go bankrupt, making compensation for affected landowners difficult or unaffordable to pursue through legal means. If this happened Chatham and Lee could lose industries and people who currently provide much of the economic well-being and quality of life and culture for these counties such as tourism, small and family market farmers, orchardists, wineries and vineyards, homesteaders, Triangle-area professionals and businessmen living in the greater bedroom community of Chatham County, writers, artists, artisans, publishers and IT professionals.
Gas exploration companies must be properly regulated and held to account for the entire time that residents could be adversely affected by their activities, should they occur. These risks can be avoided completely if no drilling and fracking is allowed in the first place.
Lawrence F. London, Jr.
Chapel Hill
