U.S. Forest Service set to decide on fracking in George Washington National Forest
George Washington National Forest is more than just one of the largest expanses of pristine land in the East. It’s the leafy cradle of the Shenandoah, James and Potomac rivers, a source of drinking water for millions of people in greater Washington.
The forest — nearly 2 million acres of natural splendor straddling Virginia and West Virginia — might also hold another treasure: natural gas trapped under a deep layer of rock called the Marcellus Shale.
By the end of the month, the U.S. Forest Service is expected to decide whether to ban or allow the controversial method of drilling called hydraulic fracturing under the forest’s new, 15-year management plan. The decision will settle a raging dispute between conservationists and the oil and gas industry.
The oil and gas industry argues that it would be unfair for the government to “slam the door” on hydraulic fracturing in the forest for such a long period of time, and points out that natural gas is a cleaner fuel than coal. Conservationists say the drilling method, also referred to as fracking, could contaminate water at its source. The process involves drilling a deep vertical well, then bending it horizontally so millions of gallons of water and toxic chemicals can be blasted into the earth to fracture shale and release gas.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-forest-service-set-to-decide-on-fracking-in-george-washington-national-forest/2013/09/07/cb7228aa-1644-11e3-a2ec-b47e45e6f8ef_story.html?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost
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It shouldn't have come before the USFS to begin with.
