The U.S. should declare a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in populated areas until the health effects are better understood, doctors said at a conference on the drilling process.
Gas producers should set up a foundation to finance studies on fracking and independent research is also needed, said Jerome Paulson, a pediatrician at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington.
Fracking injects water, sand and chemicals into deep shale formations to free trapped natural gas. A boom in production with the method helped increase supplies, cutting prices 32 percent last year. The industry, though, hasn’t disclosed what chemicals are used, raising concerns about tainted drinking water supplies and a call for peer-reviewed studies on the effects. The EPA is weighing nationwide regulation.
“We’ve got to push the pause button, and maybe we’ve got to push the stop button,” said Adam Law, an endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, in an interview at a conference in Arlington, Virginia that’s the first to examine criteria for studying the process.
The gas industry has used hydraulic fracturing for 65 years in 30 states with a “demonstrable history of safe operations,” said Chris Tucker, a spokesman for Energy In Depth, a Washington-based research and advocacy group financed by oil and gas interests, in an e-mail.
Record Production
U.S. natural gas production rose to a record 2.5 trillion cubic feet in October, a 15 percent increase from October 2008.
A moratorium on fracking pending more research “would be reasonable,” said Paulson, who heads the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment in Washington, in an interview.
A top scientist at the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that fluids used in hydraulic fracturing contain “potentially hazardous chemical classes.” The compounds include petroleum distillates, volatile organic compounds and glycol ethers, said Christopher Portier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health.
One of Portier’s deputies will address the conference today.
Tucker called the CDC’s participation in the conference “disappointing,” saying the conference is “a closed-door pep- rally against oil and natural gas development.”
Industry representatives were invited to attend, Law said.
I saw an idiot doctor on TV a few months ago, he told us that we should be careful walking outdoors barefooted, said we might get puncture wounds in our feet.
Good grief , these doctors are so far off base, its funny.
What about a moratorium on needless cosmetic surgery until we understand the medical effects. Aren’t new medicines issued with side effects are discovered later (call 1-800-baddrug), including those on children? Talk about living in glass houses and throwing stones.
War to defend access to energy is hazardous. Freezing in your house, or no AC when it is blazing hot is hazardous. Not refrigerating food is hazardous.
In other news, doctors said that the U.S. should declare a moratorium on driving cars in populated areas. Gasoline contains hazardous chemicals and driving automobiles has been known to kill and severely injure people.
Them eastcoast doctors are welcome here in the Dallas -Ft worth area to see all the rigs used in this high population area, oops that would be reality they dont believe in so carry on you liberal soldiers.
Industry HAS disclosed the chemicals. See FracFocus.com. I’m still waiting for Coca Cola to disclose their chemicals… The doctors (really academics – notice the ones who are quoted are from research facilities such as colleges and universities) just see a cash cow to subsidize their “research”.
An estimated 100,000 people die each year from doctors misprescibing drugs. How about a moratorium on all medications.
Drill baby drill! That is probably why China is investing billions in the shale plays in U.S.A. They must have a new blood cleansing frac pill. O’ I think it is called fresh water?
I’m still wondering why the oil industry gets a pass on the Clean Water act and the Clean Air act as well as several OSHA standards.
If its all that and a bag of chips they should have no problem playing by the rules everyone else has to adhere to.
Last week on Morning Joe Haliburton was listed as a top company for 2012 profits. Joe Scarborough was quick to chime in that people used to say that this company made money because of the Dick Cheney connection, but, he hasn’t been around for years. What he didn’t say was that these profits will come from being the leading fracking supplier and Dick Cheney developed the energy policy that exempted fracking from both the clean water and clean air acts. Robert F. is spot on. Don’t think that Haliburton et al put your health ahead of their profits.
This article should be rewritten and “left-wing” should be inserted everywhere it refers to one of these doctors. I’m not surprised. There are also doctors who want to ban guns and spanking. BTW – why is it that people who say “spot on” always have something dumb to say?