To frack or not to frack?

Both sides step up claims at hearing on releasing natural gas
by Margie Hyslop, Staff Writer, ANNAPOLIS —

Around the State House, both sides raised the ante this week on what is at stake in deciding whether

In testimony, opponents said new research shows the controversial practice of hydrofracturing, or fracking — which injects water and toxic chemicals thousands of feet underground to fracture rock — does not reap the clean-energy benefits claimed by the industry.

The testimony was on a proposal to charge companies that have leased gas rights a fee to fund research to help state officials decide whether to allow fracking, which requires drilling 3,500 to 7,000 feet, then setting a horizontal channel to blast through the rock.

Without studies, Maryland will have more questions than answers, Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, told the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

Tidwell said he thinks the proposal to charge companies a $10-per-acre fee is “fair.”

More here.

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