Although the whole country “owns” the forest, it is we who hunt, fish, canoe and hike there who will experience the following changes (per well) if the process is allowed: 2 million to 9 million gallons of water taken from freshwater sources;1 million to 4.5 million gallons of industrial wastewater to be hauled off and disposed of; construction of drill pads and their service roads; noise from compressors; large numbers of tanker trucks hauling water and chemicals to wells and wastewater away; possible contamination of groundwater by chemicals unregulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act; and emissions from multiple sources (diesel generators, trucks, drilling equipment, condensate tanks and flaring from well-heads).
Any economic benefit to Alabama from fracking must be balanced against costs to the $2.6 billion per year spent by 1.6 million residents and nonresidents on outdoor recreation, per U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates. Please learn the pros and cons of fracking and make your voices heard.
Scott Beckett
Jacksonville
