In response to the article “Battle lines being drawn over fracking in Maryland” (Jan. 8 Times-News, Page 1A), I must inform Sen. George Edwards that those of us working to ensure fracking is fully studied before commencing in Maryland will do everything we can, too.
We are not environmental extremists. We understand the importance of money and jobs, but we believe the importance of preserving the natural world for our health, livelihoods and for future generations is just as, if not more, important.
Our bodies do not need natural gas in order to survive, but they do need water. We need to protect it.
We hope to see a statutory moratorium bill passed this year in Maryland’s General Assembly. This would ensure, by Maryland state law, that there will be no fracking in the state until the necessary studies are complete.
I have heard and read countless stories from those who have seen firsthand the damage fracking can cause to families and communities. It is devastating, and this is no exaggeration.
Allowing this activity, in Garrett County especially, would completely change the landscape that many of us hold so dearly to our hearts. People living outside of this region visit here for that landscape and the outdoor living experience it provides.
Fracking would drastically change that, affecting those who depend on the outdoor living experience for their livelihoods.
I urge Maryland residents who support fracking, or may be on the fence, to learn more about what has happened to others for whom it is too late. We don’t just drink water, but we bathe and cook with it. Let’s not take it for granted.
Desiree Bullard
Cumberland
Editorials
It’s the water we need to survive, not the natural gas
- Editorials
-
-
High priority
Maryland school officials on Tuesday put an exclamation point on the need to take student-athlete concussions more seriously.
-
Cashing in
As anyone who lives in the area knows, economic gains have been hard to come by in recent years. The opening of the Rocky Gap Casino Resort is one of the biggest boosts the region has seen in some time.
-
Why have the media been silent all this time?
When I read the Cumberland Times-News Editorial this morning, Friday, May 17, entitled, “Outrageous,” I laughed like a kid at a birthday party!
-
What are chances this much money will be spent on road?
I was intrigued by cost data summarized in reporter Kathy Mellott’s recent article, “Completing southern link of U.S. Route 219 said to be best use of highway funds,” which appeared in the Cumberland Times-News on Tuesday May 14 (Page 1A).
-
School board should be doing better job with less money
The Allegany County Teachers Association (ACTA) board of directors recently submitted a letter to the editor asking the Allegany County commissioners to fully fund the Board of Education’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year (“Commissioners should fund school board request,” April 29 Times-News).
-
Better ‘Click It’
If you notice more police on the highway this week, it’s for a couple of reasons.
-
They do bite
This week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. For anyone thinking that is not such a big deal, consider that 4.7 million Americans annually are bitten by dogs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
-
Stop buying licenses; let them find the money somewhere else
A few months ago, I received two cards from the National Rifle Association. These were dealing with a legislative alert.
They asked that I should contact Sen. George Edwards and Delegate Kevin Kelly concerning the anti-gun legislation. -
Strength of gun laws is not reflected in grisly statistics
According to the FBI’s uniform crime reports, California had the highest number of gun murders in 2011 with 1,220, which makes up 68 percent of all murders in the state that year and equates to 3.25 murders per 100,000 people.
-
An old story
What for years has been an on-again, off-again battle over funding between the Allegany County Commissioners and the Allegany County Board of Education seems to be growing even uglier.
- More Editorials Headlines
-
