The high volume of water used in fracking is of concern, since this water can only be used for fracking but never for drinking. Millions of gallons would be taken from the river, creating a situation where contaminants that do get into the river are not diluted as efficiently, causing a toxification problem.

Then there is the land disturbance and the high volume of toxic water that comes off the site that will have to be trucked away and disposed of. We know that such disposal causes earthquakes when it gets into faults and underground water contamination when it gets into underground water sources. This is particularly dangerous in regions where there are underground caverns.

There is also the problem of inspectors. Currently, we have only 20 for the entire state. That is not even one per county. We have seen drilling accidents and spills contaminate our streams in WV since drilling began here (see photos of these on wvhostfarms.org) and we know that oversight is key to enforcing what regulations we have.

We must take care of our state and stop using her for what she has to offer. WV is a national treasure. Every one of us has a duty to make sure she is protected.