As the Mining and Energy Commission works to finalize regulations on hydraulic fracturing — also known as “fracking” — in North Carolina, the commission needs to place the health and safety of North Carolina citizens at the forefront of its decision-making process. This should trump all other considerations.
Some view the economic prosperity that natural gas exploration claims to bring as a godsend, but others fear the potential destructive power of this exploration.
The debate has now come to North Carolina. In July, the legislature decided to lift the previous ban on drilling in the state. Now that drilling is legal, the commission must determine the safest way for it to be done.
Members of the Mining and Energy Commission need to approach this decision with an open mind. They should be willing to make a judgment on what is best for the health of North Carolina residents — even if that decision is unpopular or contrary to a personal opinion on fracking.
The commission shouldn’t play politics with people’s lives.
But as important as precaution is, economic prosperity and community health and safety are not mutually exclusive.
People rely on government to make decisions in their best interests, basing those decisions on available facts and scientific evidence.
The commission needs to keep itself free from political or private sector forces that might want to influence this important decision.
It is possible that a wrong decision could be devastating and irreversible either financially or environmentally.
