Commentary

Dear President Obama: Reconsider hydrofracking

By Nancy Donnan Coleman R.N., B.S.N.  |  Special to the County News

I have been told you would never read a letter from me, but I am going to give it a try. I am a 75-year-old grandmother of 14 and a retired registered nurse.

I ski most mornings in the winter and give horseback riding lessons the rest of the seasons. One of our riding programs is Horsemanship for Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I am more of a doer than a talker.

Last November, I along with my husband watched “Gasland.” Have you and your family seen it? I am usually not persuaded by anecdotal information, but this movie was very powerful.

Following this we started a group to help educate our town about horizontal slick water hydrofracking. We petitioned our Town of Richmond for a moratorium.

A month ago our town board passed a 12 month moratorium and appointed an official committee to further study horizontal hydrofraking. My husband Don and I were asked to be on that committee.

I plead with you to study this issue! I am concentrating on medical issues and have many credible resources from health professionals who are cautioning against horizontal slick water hydrofracking.

Please read Adam Law’s “Health Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing Techniques.” Dr. Law is a practicing Endocrinologist in the Ithaca area. He notes that the Medical Society of the State of New York supports a moratorium on natural gas extraction using high volume hydraulic fracturing in New York State until valid information is available to evaluate the process for its potential effects on human health and the environment.

Dr. Law relates there are no high quality health studies addressing the effects of hydraulic fracturing. He mentions the known and unknown harmful chemicals involved in horizontal hydrofraking and that communities, states, the EPA and even Congress are unable to obtain a comprehensive inventory of these chemicals.

As a medical doctor, Dr. Law notes two precepts —“First, do no harm” and “informed consent.” He says that horizontal hydrofracking is a large, misconceived experiment in which unspecified toxins are being introduced to human subjects.

Another source of interest is Dr. Bernard Goldstein’s testimony to the Energy and Environmental Subcommittee on Feb. 1. This is the hearing where Josh Fox, the producer of Gasland was arrested and this took a lot of attention.

Dr. Goldstein states there are no physicians, nurses, pharmacists, public health professionals, toxicologists or professional risk managers in the 52 members appointed by you in your Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future.

I believe in SCIENCE. What I read and hear from the pro-fracking crowd are statements not based on science. Their input is based on short-term money oriented information and they often use bully like verbiage. They ignore the health problems that are surfacing.

Mr. President, I do believe you will study this issue, put more medical professionals in your decision making process and do no harm. Your children’s children will thank you. If you fail to act wisely, your children’s children will not thank you.

Nancy Donnan Coleman lives in Richmond, Ontario County near the town line of Livonia.