Jeff Schmidt’s June 6 letter (“Natural Gas Is Not a Clean Energy Investment”) lodges a series of claims that are fundamentally unsupported by the facts about the safe, responsible development of clean-burning American natural gas.
First, Mr. Schmidt and your readers should know that hydraulic fracturing fluids — made up of more than 99.5 percent water and sand — are listed on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s website as well as on FracFocus.org.
Second, his tired claim that Pennsylvania’s new natural gas law somehow shields medical professionals from accessing and discussing natural gas-related additives with their patients has been thoroughly debunked. These claims couldn’t be further from the truth but are intended to spread fear — an unfortunate tactic often used by natural gas opponents who don’t have facts on their side.
In fact, Mr. Schmidt’s organization, the Sierra Club, is leading a concerted campaign aimed at halting American natural gas development and its use to power our economy. Of the Sierra Club’s anti-natural gas campaign, The Wall Street Journal writes that “It’s hard to imagine a campaign that poses a greater threat to the U.S. economy, energy security and American health.” We agree, and as Gov. Ed Rendell recently underscored, “natural gas can foster an economic, environmental and security revitalization for our country and our state.”
There isn’t a silver bullet for our nation’s energy challenges. That said, the responsible development of American natural gas is creating tens of thousands of private-sector jobs, driving down energy costs for consumers and businesses and dramatically weakening our nation’s dangerous dependency on unstable regions of the world to meet our energy needs.
BRIAN DRAKE
Analyst
Marcellus Shale Coalition
NOTE: Click HERE to view this letter online.
