It is too bad that some folks have been led to believe that hydraulic fracturing is new or even an unsafe process. While I had some concerns when we first started hearing more about fracking, I took some time to research the process, safety precautions and regulations. Wells are constructed with layers of cement and steel to protect our groundwater. After these wells are drilled, fracking takes place, oftentimes, more than a mile below the earth’s surface and creates hairline fractures within shale formations. These tiny cracks create pathways for oil and natural gas trapped within those tight rocks to flow into the wellbore and be used to power our everyday life. That well can produce energy resources for decades.

State regulators keep a close eye on the operators throughout the entire process. Backing those regulators are some of the strictest rules and regulations in the nation. While some like to claim that our government is controlled by oil and gas companies, those of us who have taken the time to learn about our elected officials know better. It seems the hysteria around oil and gas development is being driven by activists and political agendas rather than facts and science. The oil and gas industry that I have gotten to know is just as concerned for the environment, health and safety of those who live nearby their operations as any reasonable person would be. To claim that these companies are simply out for profits is an outdated notion.

Without domestic oil and gas development, our energy and cost of living would rise, and there would be fewer Coloradans in the workforce. We would also go back to being at the whims of oil producing countries that simply do not have America’s best interests in mind. While I am glad that the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is taking time to listen to citizens’ concerns, and especially glad they will be focusing on southwestern Colorado, I also hope that the debate centers on facts.

Sharla Dyar

Ignacio