1. This graphic on quantities of impacts probably does not include the millions of tons of propant (silica sand) that is mined, the adverse effects silica dust have on people and the environment and the energy and pollution that result from silica sand mining and transportation.

2. The book “The Real Cost of Fracking: How America’s Shale Gas Boom Is Threatening Our Families, Pets, and Food” details many of these health aspects on people and animals.

3. When corporations say something is “for the common good”, what they really mean is that it’s good for their profit and their shareholders.

4. I consider myself to be a conservative. I believe we should conserve (take care of) our natural resources, our commons (air, land and water) and people. The commons do not belong to corporations and the rich to do with as they wish. Yet that’s how the system works under “law and economics”.

5. If you’re not familiar with Zacariah Hildenbrand, do a Google search on him. He has authored a number of papers with significant data that implicates fracking for the hazard that it is.

6. There are a number of problems with regulations. Regulations legitimize the pollution of our air, water and soil when done at “acceptable levels”. It’s like someone saying “I need to take your arm, but the law will only let me take your hand.”

7. “Law and economics” will dictate what happens, as it is doing now. “In simple terms, a legal situation is said to be efficient if a right is given to the party who would be willing to pay the most for it.” There are well over 500,000 abandoned hard rock, coal mines, and oil & gas wells in the U.S. Most of these are polluting our environment and the companies that reaped the profits from these resources are long gone. Clean-up costs will have to be borne by taxpayers. The burden (for both clean-up and health care costs) will fall most heavily on low to middle income people. New proposed “mega-mines” such as the Pebble Mine and Transboundary Mines represent exponentially greater risks. David M. Chambers and Lindsay Newland Bowker eloquently address this issue in their internet messages and published papers.

George Neall, Mathias, WV

Your state has more drilling and gas development than we have in eastern Ohio. We are catching up know, and living here for 37 years we our planing on moving. I raised beef cattle for 30 years and gave it up because of traffic, it is dangerous to be on the roads, we lost our rural country enjoyment.

They built a 9 engine compressor station 3/4 mile from us and neighbors. And, the noise is terrible.

How sad it has become to know we our destroying land that was a joy to be on.

Joe Perebzak, Noble County, Ohio