This Tuesday there will be a public hearing in Chicago on a commentary for regulations on a process known as Hydraulic Fracturing. The process is used to extract natural gas from the shale rock layer buried deep within the ground, meaning large profits for those who can obtain space to do it.
The video above is a ready explanation and background to the concerns over the proposed regulations on this process in Illinois, regulations that have only been out for two weeks and were written in a short time – since the passage of the bill that permits fracking was passed back in June.
To summarize our concern:
- All fracking will occur in Southern Illinois, including the Shawnee National Forest (only cyprus forest north of the mason-dixon line). There have been no hearings granted in southern illinois and motions for local regulations have been ignored/denied.
- Fracking releases methane gas into the atmosphere. Methane gas is 86 times more potent greenhouse gas than Carbon Dioxide over a 20 year time span. Cheap methane gas incentivizes intensive use of greenhouse gases as sources of energy.
- Residents not leasing their land will be exposed the air, chemical, and noise pollution this risky process create, and silenced/given a small settlement for their lawsuits. This cycle has been reliably produced across all states in which fracking takes place.
Date/Time of Hearing: Tuesday, November 26 6:30pm-8:30pm, Citizen’s Press Conference at 5:00pm
Location: University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), 750 S. Halsted Street, Student Center East Room 302
Hope to see you there!
-RTC’ers