You may have heard the news that Governor Martin O’Malley last week gave approval for the potential start of controversial fracking drilling for gas in Western Maryland. The governor released a report — three years in the making — which said that IF a wide range of protective regulations are fully implemented and monitored, then such drilling, in the governor’s view, is acceptable. 

We disagree with the governor on this. Period. While Gov. O’Malley’s proposed regulations are by far the toughest ever proposed in the country — and could serve as a model for states that already frack dangerously — they won’t eliminate the significant potential harm to Maryland’s environment and economy, and there’s no guarantee they’d be enforced. We at CCAN and our partners intend to continue to fight against this harmful practice of drilling — and we’ll need you fighting with us.
Here are our key take aways from the governor’s report — and where we’re headed next. Here are the three things you need to know:
1) The safest strategy for drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale is to NOT drill for that gas at all. We do not believe the state report proves the case that fracking can be done with acceptable public health and environmental safety in Maryland. Further, climate scientists say 80 percent of the world’s known reserves of fossil fuels must stay in the ground if we are to have any hope of stabilizing the world’s atmosphere. Simply put, the gas must stay in the ground.
2) YOUR watchdog pressure has kept fracking at bay so far in Maryland — and it made an impact in shaping Gov. O’Malley’s final report. Your insistent pressure has resulted in recommendations that, if enacted, could make gas companies think twice about whether or not they would want to drill here — according to the American Petroleum Institute’s own lobbyist in Maryland. For example, Governor O’Malley proposed a first-ever rule requiring gas companies to completely eliminate net “leakage” of methane, a powerful heat-trapping gas, from the fracking process. Gas companies would also have to do two years of preliminary water quality testing before they could start drilling. Again, none of this is a victory. But, if it weren’t for your action, fracking might very well already be a reality in Maryland. As it stands, we are still in a position to keep working to make sure it never is.
3) Come January, the ball will be in the court of Governor-elect Larry Hogan — and your representatives in the General Assembly. This is where we’re headed next. While Gov. O’Malley has said his agencies will propose final regulations for fracking before he leaves office, the final decision on what to do with them will rest with incoming Gov. Hogan and our legislators in Annapolis. CCAN is committed to working to pass legislation to prevent a reckless rush to drill in our state.
So, between now and the start of the General Assembly session in mid-January, we’ll keep you posted on the game plan. For now, there are two ways you can take action immediately to help spread the word about the dangers of fracking in Maryland and build the movement to stop it:
Write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper: We need to make sure decision-makers are hearing from concerned Marylanders like you, and that we keep educating our neighbors across the state about the risks of fracking. Contact Shilpa Joshi, at shilpa@chesapeakeclimate.org if you can write a letter to the editor of your local paper, and we’ll follow up with tips and talking points.
Click here to share this graphic on Facebook: In the past week, two prominent state newspapers — the Baltimore Sun and the Frederick News-Post — have published editorials responding to Gov. O’Malley’s report, warning of the risks fracking poses to our health, environment and economy. Keep the “no fracking” buzz going by sharing the news.
We have a lot of work to do in the months ahead. But know this: Passionate Marylanders like you have stood shoulder to shoulder across the state for years to successfully fight harmful gas drilling. You are the reason our state is frack-free today. So let’s keep fighting together to keep it that way.
Thanks for everything you do — and stay tuned for the next steps!
The Marcellus Shale Drilling Advisory Commission is holding a brief public comment session on its final report next Monday evening, December 8, in two locations. Email me at shilpa@chesapeakeclimate.org for more information on how to attend.