In an interview with a northern-California public TV and radio outlet KQED, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said that local fracking bans are “the wrong way to go.”
She spoke only weeks after New York imposed a fracking ban, a decision the state justified by citing a much-criticized state department of health report on the supposed negative public-health consequences, including “community impacts associated with boom-town economic effects.”
Though Jewell did not directly address New York’s fracking ban, she told KQED, that “there is a lot of misinformation about fracking. I think that localized efforts or statewide efforts in many cases don’t understand the science behind it and I think there needs to be more science,” said Jewell.
“They (the public) are concerned about this and they want to make sure any kind of oil and gas activity is done safely and responsibly in terms of their water supply and in terms of their communities. That is an industry responsibility,” Jewell said. “I’ve made it very clear to industry that it’s not my job to defend their practices; it’s their job to both ensure their practices are safe and then communicate with communities that their practices are safe.”
“The oilfield service and supply companies of PESA have long prioritized safety, responsibility and community impact in their operations, and continue to hold themselves to the highest standards. The sustained creation of millions of jobs for hard working Americans, greater geopolitical strength and lowered energy prices are all benefits that our industry provides through hydraulic fracturing and the domestic production of oil and natural gas,” said PESA President Leslie Beyer.
More Information:
Interview on KQED: http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/01/02/interior-secretary-local-fracking-bans-are-wrong-way-to-go/
PESA’s Reaction to the NY Fracking Ban: https://energyworkforce.org/state-of-ny-disappoints-in-hydraulic-fracturing-ban/
