Background

In Western Maryland, corporations are laying plans to drill wells deep underground to exploit the region’s Marcellus Shale natural gas deposits. These polluters use a technique called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which involves pumping millions of gallons of water, sand, and dangerous chemicals deep underground at high pressure to crack apart the shale and release the gas. This controversial technique has been blamed for polluting streams and tainting wells in surrounding states, even resulting in flammable tap water!

It's vital that we stop these companies from drilling in Maryland until the potential impacts of this practice are studied and understood. Chief Oil & Gas has already been charged with 198 environmental and safety violations at 83 wells in Pennsylvania. The other company leasing land in Maryland, Samson, has been cited for 12 offenses at just TWO wells! As these companies inch closer to having their permits approved, Maryland lacks the necessary regulations to ensure that our environment and water supply are protected.
The EPA is in the process of conducting an in-depth life-cycle analysis of hydraulic fracturing and its potential impacts on public health and the environment. At Cornell University, researchers are conducting the first and only peer-reviewed analysis of the life-cycle emissions from shale gas drilling. The New York Times also recently published a series of revealing reports on the adverse effects of shale gas drilling.

Fracking and Climate Change

For years, the dominant viewpoint within the climate change movement and among mainstream environmental organizations has been that natural gas is a “bridge fuel” -- a fuel source that can help us get off coal and onto an eventual renewable energy path. But recent studies have revealed that natural gas is truly a bridge fuel to nowhere.

Natural gas fracking leaks copious amounts of methane, a damaging greenhouse gas. An April 2011 study showed that at least 30 percent more natural gas leaks during fracking than via other gas extraction methods. Recently, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation used infrared radar to show methane escaping from fracking sites within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. See the shocking video here and read about it here.

The study also found that over a 20-year period, the carbon footprint of fracked natural gas is actually greater than the carbon footprint of coal, primarily due to the extraordinary planet-warming power of methane. Over 20 years, methane is as much as 105 times as powerful a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide. The data clearly shows that natural gas is not the bridge fuel we once considered it to be. In fact, fracked natural gas is substantially more dangerous for our climate than other fossil fuels.

Fracking in Maryland

During the 2011 Maryland General Assembly session, Delegate Heather Mizeur and Senator Brian Frosh introduced legislation that would prohibit the issuance of gas drilling permits until certain criteria are met, studies are completed at the national and state level, and the proper regulations are in place. This legislation did not pass, but in response to the growing threat of fracking in Maryland, Governor O’Malley signed an executive order in June 2011 requiring that the state study the full implications of fracking before approving drilling permits. This executive order established a study commission that is tasked with developing baseline studies and analyzing all potential impacts from natural gas fracking in Maryland.  Unfortunately, this commission is not funded to do the work necessary that will allow it to create a proper regulatory framework for fracking practices. Delegate Heather Mizeur introduced legislation in the 2012 Maryland General Assembly that will fund the commission’s work to examine all impacts associated with fracking in Maryland, including climate change impacts. After passing the House of Delegates, the legislation was held up in a Senate committee and never made it to passage. CCAN and its partners plan to return with an even stronger bill in 2013.

Maryland cannot afford to make the same mistakes as our neighbors in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. We must take a pause and allow for adequate scientific research to guide policy decisions. Until we know that natural gas is safe for our health, our water, and our climate, we must not permit natural gas fracking in Western Maryland.

Learn More

• Read Governor O’Malley’s executive order on fracking
• Fracking Factsheet - Climate Change Implications
• Fracking Factsheet - Background on Fracking
• Learn more about methane from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Read this great book review by Bill McKibben that discusses fracking
• Read the 2012 Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Study Fee bill
• See the results from CCAN's March 2012 fracking poll