TO THE EDITOR:
As a Carolina student and a member of the Chapel Hill community, I feel compelled to speak out against hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” in North Carolina, and what is at stake if we allow this dangerous form of natural gas drilling to begin in our state. Fracking has already polluted groundwater sources across the country with toxic chemicals. Just a few weeks ago, a study done at Duke confirmed the presence of radioactive chemicals in rivers near fracking sites in Pennsylvania.
As of right now, 8,000 acres of land in Chatham, Moore and Lee counties have already been leased for fracking by out-of-state gas companies. If we don’t take action, fracking could begin at these locations within the next year or two — putting Jordan Lake, Eno River, Deep River, and thus the drinking water for millions of North Carolinians, at stake.
The cleanliness and safety of our drinking water shouldn’t ever be in jeopardy. I urge my fellow students and community members to call Gov. Pat McCrory and local elected officials and tell them to pass a permanent ban on fracking. Together, we can make sure that our drinking water sources are safe from contamination and that our beautiful state remains frack free.
Michelle Graziosi ’15
Environmental science
