Northern Tier official defends hydrofracturing from New York Times portrayal

Bradford County Commissioner Doug McLinko said drilling through the Marcellus Shale with compressed water is a safe natural gas retrieval method, not the health hazard portrayed by a New York Times report.

McLinko’s defense of the hydrofracturing came in a Wednesday news report in which he responded to a New York Times article questioning the state of water management and gas regulation here.

“The New York Times blatant misrepresentation of Pennsylvania gas regulations glosses over the robust programs in place to protect the people and the environment in Pennsylvania,” McLinko said. “I have complete faith in the extensive oversight and enforcement efforts the state has put in place over the last two years.”

McLinko said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2004 declared hydraulic fracturing safe, and as recently as last year, the state Department of Environmental Protection conducted a study that found no evidence of groundwater contamination due to hydraulic fracturing.

“The greatest danger exposed by the New York Times coverage is the danger of misinformation and careless fact checking,” McLinko said.

March 3, 2011
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