Public Meeting held on Hydraulic Fracturing

Posted byAngie HedgepethPosted inState

Public Information meeting on Hydraulic Fracturing “Fracking”
October 11, 2014
Cumberland County Library system
North Regional Branch

Event Speakers:
Dr. Viney Aneja – N.C. State University
Jim Womack – N.C. Mining Energy commission
Hope Taylor – Director of Clean Water of North Carolina

Background:  Governmor McCrory signed a law in June authorizing energy companies be permitted to obtain permits for hydraulic fracturing to unearth natural gas in North Carolina.  With this new law in place, permits may be given out as early as 2015.  The majority of land that will be utilized for this process is in Lee County.

Talking points from the meeting:

  • 1 “fracking” well uses 4.4 million gallons of water a day.
  • 4.4 million galloons is equivalent to 11,000 American households consumption of water in 1 day
  • 4.4 million gallons of water is also equal to 6 Olympic size pools

Challenges that face areas involved with fracking:

  • drill pad construction (The relatively small work area in which the rig crew conducts operations, usually adding or removing drillpipe to or from the drillstring. The rig floor is the most dangerous location on the rig because heavy iron is moved around there…Wikipedia)
  • ground water contamination
  • hydraulic fracturing and flow back water management
  • blowouts & house explosions
  • water consumption and supply
  • spill management and surface water protections
  • small earthquakes

The American Council on Science and Health provided this information at the meeting by handout. (www.acsh.or)g

What are the benefits of Fracking?

  • U.S. has increased its production of all natural gas by 34 percent
  • U.S. is now the leading producer in the world
  • U.S. is predicted to pass Saudi Arabia as the top-producing petroleum and gas producer by 2017
  • natural gas prices have dropped, Americans have saved an estimated $100 billion in 2011

Sidebar:  The following news article was obtained from the National Association of REALTORS® website. The article was not part of the public meeting.

Fracking: A Growing Threat to Home Values?

Daily Real Estate News | Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Fracking is causing nearby home values to fall, suggest attorneys from Ballard Spahr in a webinar titled “Oil and Gas Exploration for Mortgage Bankers.” Natural gas drilling wells are popping up more across the country. The technology, known as “fracking,” is making it easier to mine for natural gas reserves but, in a growing number of cases, these shales filled with natural gases are being mined in populated neighborhoods.Fracking causes decreases in property values of from 4 to 15 percent, according to the Ballard Spahr attorneys. Fracking is being linked to declines in property values because of the unknown and potentially dangerous elements involved in fracking, the attorneys say. For example, some have accused fracking of causing contaminated water, polluted air, and even earthquakes. Studies are being done to study the full effects of fracking, but with unknowns persisting, it’s causing property values to go down, attorneys said during the webinar.“This is not a short-term boom” either, said Harry Weiss of Ballard Spahr’s Enviornment and Natural Resources Group, who noted that more states are beginning to allow drilling. “This is a many, many year process. Someday, somewhere, somehow, you’re going to see it everywhere.”Source: “Fracking Decreases Property Values as Much as 15%,” HousingWire (April 22, 2014)

 

 

 

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Published by Angie Hedgepeth

Angie Hedgepeth, Government Affairs Director for the Association, attends all the local meetings each month, as well as NAR and NCAR meetings, and keeps members abreast of the multiple issues being addressed in local, state and national government. She prepares reports on the meetings she attends and they are included in the weekly "Government Affairs Update".