Fracking or hydraulic fracturing is a process in which liquid (water and sand and chemical additives) is pumped, under high pressure, into shale formations to fracture the rock and release trapped gas and oil. It is not a new process. Since 1980, around 12,000 wells have employed hydraulic fracturing in Michigan, typically in wells less than 2000 feet deep. However, with the recent drilling of an exploratory well in the deeper Missaukee County into the Utica Collingwood shale, there has been a rush to lease State and private land for expanded drilling. These deep wells require considerably more ground water (millions of gallons) for hydrofracing and require much larger pad sites (typically 5 acres) for setting up the drilling operation. There has been considerable interest in Northern Michigan regarding the personal, social, economic, and environmental implications of this possible new gas exploration boom in Northern Michigan.
ESLA has joined thirty-five other organizations in signing a letter to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment calling for stronger regulations and required use of best management practices to protect water resources from the impacts of fracking. ESLA has also joined a coalition sponsored by the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council agreeing to take advocacy action as may be appropriate for environmental protections related to Fracking.
Review November 2010 letter from Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council sent to DNRE, which was endorsed by over 30 area conservation organizations (including ESLA).
Additional Sources for Hydrofracturing Information:
Hydraulic Fracturing: The Basics – Tip of Mitt Fact Sheet (September 2011)
Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Use – Tip of Mitt Fact Sheet (October 2011)
In addition to meeting with individual legislators and planning some legislative events, TOM has also create a series of educational fact sheets to help legislators with various complicated elements of hydraulis fracturing. These documents are going out to every single member of the Michigan House of Representatives and Senate. The first was sent in September 2011 and the second went on October 2011.
Hydraulic Fracturing Facts
Provided by Chesapeake Energy this entire site is devoted to hydraulic fracturing information.
FRAC: Fracking Regulatory Action Center
Provided by Sierra Club this site has regulatory information by state.
Natural Gas Drilling & Water: An overview of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in Northern Michigan
Provided by Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council’s (TOMWC) this is an excellent source for a concise scientific/technical overview with illustrations.
Deep Well Injection: A Position Paper by Chris Grobbel, Ph.D.
An in-depth and well documented review of the geology and possible risks associated with deep wells in Northern Michigan. The article is supported by, the Friends of the Jordan (River), an organization that has many reservations regarding deep injection well drilling and a history opposing the disposal well proposed in Star County.
Michigan Mineral Lease Information
Mineral lease location maps by county. Click on Antrim county to see the location of hundreds of oil and gas wells in our county.
Antrim County MSU Extension Oil and Gas Information
Michigan State University
A variety of information from MSU Extension on Oil and Gas Leasing; some sources from the oil and gas industry.
Department of Natural Resources and Environment
DNRE site containing information on Michigan’s gas, oil, and mineral resources, including regulation provisions. Two DNRE Geologists have responsibility for oil and gas regulation and inspection in Antrim County—Ann Stephens (stephensa@michigan.gov), assigned to ER, Milton and other local townships and Mark Cromell (cromellm@michigan.gov), assigned to all other townships in Antrim and other Northern Michigan counties.
Northern Express Editorial “Fear of Fracking” by Anne Stanton
Pro Publica
Site with many articles on the environmental risks associated with gas drilling.
FRAC Act
A bill introduced in congress to address some of the concerns associated with the lack of disclosure and exemptions providing to the gas drilling industry.
Industrial Scars
A compilation of color photographs depicting gas and oil drilling sites in the Catskills. Click on the picture to move forward to the next. These aren’t “pretty” photographs.
