Former EPA official’s advice for Florida: Don’t ban fracking
Frequent calls in Florida to ban hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” would be pushing aside facts and research for nonscientific emotions. Despite the claims of activists and concerned citizens, fracking is well understood, highly-regulated and safe. So, fracking bans would set a terrible precedent by ignoring science and expert opinion.
While fracking is not currently being used in Florida, it is applied in other states to produce most of the energy consumed in Florida. For example, natural gas, produced elsewhere by fracking, fuels two-thirds of Florida’s electricity generation. Similarly, lower natural gas and oil prices, thanks to fracking, have been a boon to every Floridian.
But, despite fracking’s economic and environmental benefits, professional scientific analysis of fracking has been almost overwhelmed by an avalanche of nonscientific assertions.
But here’s what we do know: Fracking is far from a new and unproven technique to produce oil and natural gas. It has been used in various forms in the U.S. since the 1940s on more than 1 million oil and natural gas wells. Today, it’s used on about 80 percent of new natural gas wells. This is a production technique that has undergone extensive study and is tightly regulated.
For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently completed a five-year study on fracking, pulling in data from more than 600 sources, and found no evidence of widespread groundwater contamination. In other words, this is a procedure that can be used safely.
Often made into a partisan issue, actually some of fracking’s strongest supporters came from the Obama administration. President Obama’s former secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, who has personally dealt with fracking wells, has openly criticized local and state fracking bans. And former Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz has praised fracking as an environmental positive.
Importantly, our surging natural gas production has enabled utilities across the country to shift away from coal. As we have used more natural gas for electricity generation, U.S. carbon and particulate emissions have plummeted. We’ve now reduced U.S. carbon emissions from the power sector to their lowest level in 25 years. This is why Moniz and many other energy and environmental experts view fracking not as a problem, but a critical tool in improving the nation’s environment.
Instead of banning fracking, Florida would be wise to work with states that have more experience with science-based fracking regulations. Colorado and Pennsylvania, for example, have developed unique regulations that fit their geology and the conditions and needs of their communities. Both states are reaping the benefits of inexpensive energy production and doing it safely.
Banning a technology that is being used safely and effectively regulated would be a big mistake. Florida should put expert opinion and prudent thinking before fear camouflaged as an abundance of caution.
Finally, keep in mind that in the past decade we have gone from “running low” on domestic natural gas and oil to the world’s largest producer of these hydrocarbons, while lowering energy prices and improving the environment — thanks to fracking.