Stop Hydraulic Fracturing

As one of the states, which by the way has already been devastated by the coal industry, sitting on top of the Marcellus Shale deposits, the "fracking" industry in West Viginia has been booming lately. More and more back roads are being torn up by the increased traffic of heavy water trucks, deflivering and removing water from the frack sites. These trucks, which are often being driven by workers who have been on the job for 16+ hours, have already driven SEVERAL people that I know, or a friend or family knows, OFF THE ROAD, as they storm down small one lane roads, etc.

But truck drivers, themselves, are not the major issue here. The major issue is the environmental destruction this industry is causing. When someone has a split estate (doesn't own the mineral rights to their land), the energy companies can simply buy or lease the rights from the owners, and DESTROY the land owners' lands by bulldozing down trees, putting in access roads, and installing pads, which pump hazardous chemicals deep into the earth. These companies have been exempted from many EPA regulations, and probably WV Division of Environtmental Protection regulations, as well. The WV DEP made headlines before when Massey Energy had a mine explosion kill nearly 30 men, and we'd come to find out that the company had been cited by the DEP but was never held to paying for its violations. Now there is a new industry for the DEP to turn a blind eye toward.

The sad part is, that with the mountainous landscape of Appalachia (one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, second only to the Amazon, I've heard), these energy companies find it easy to "hide" their actions up in valleys, or "hollows" as we call them here. They've chosen to hide their actions back in the hills because they know the locals aren't happy with their land and environment being destroyed. Supporters of the industry claim it is bringing jobs and money to the area. However, most of these rights are being sold to out of state companies, and the workers are often from out of state energy companies, therefore, the Great State of West Virginia, is seeing very little of the MASSIVE profits this industry is generating. West Virginia has been said to be on of the only states that contains enough natural resources, that it could sustain itself as a nation. However, our politicians are quick to sell out the resources of our state, to out of state companies, in order to make a quick payoff. This HAS to stop. If we're going to allow "fracking" into our state to destroy it's roads, environment, clean water supply, we might as well be the ones reaping the benefits from it. However, I believe we shouldn't be allowing any fracking to destroy WIld, Wonderful West Virginia AT ALL. Put a moratorium on further fracking until we find out exacty what it is that we're pumping into our water tables. We are borrowing this Earth from our children, and to trade our children's future for 15 years worth of jobs, and an unsustainable fuel source, is not just wrong. It is DESPICABLE GREED. PUT AN END TO FRACKING (or at least a moratorium on new fracking) NOW!