Place a moratorium on Marcellus drilling

In a time when families are struggling and the state budget is in crisis, it is easy to see the answer to our financial troubles in Marcellus Shale drilling. But what about the costs? The June 13 story "Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling Put Under Microscope" highlights the dangers that come hand in hand with the fracking process.

As a resident of Lincoln Place, a city neighborhood where mineral rights and land leases have already been signed, I have many fears about what a gas well will mean for the health of my family, for my property value and for the safety of my community.

Lobbyists for the natural gas industry claim that the drilling process can be done safely, but the explosions and fires we saw recently demonstrate there are disastrous consequences when something goes wrong.

In addition to news headlines about the recent blowouts, story after story is being told at community meetings about families near drill sites getting sick and having to move out of their homes, about drinking water contaminated by methane gas and about highly toxic wastewater leaching into the ground.

In Lincoln Place, one proposed drill site is only blocks away from an elementary school with nearly 400 children who could be exposed to these gases. I second the call for a moratorium. If Marcellus Shale is truly the economic boom we've all been waiting for, then let's get it right the first time around.

COLLEEN YOUNG
Lincoln Place