Strong statewide support for studies includes Western Marylanders, Republicans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 27, 2012

CONTACT:

Mike Tidwell, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org, 240-460-5838

ANNAPOLIS, MD – A new poll released today shows that an exceptional 71 percent of Marylanders – across party lines – want hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” for natural gas to be studied before any decision is made to permit the unconventional drilling practice in the state. Marylanders also overwhelmingly want energy companies to pay for these studies. Policymakers and reform advocates say the polling numbers show that the Maryland state Senate should follow the House of Delegates lead and immediately pass HB 1204 to fund safety studies related to fracking for gas.

OpinionWorks, a prominent and widely respected polling firm in Maryland, conducted the poll. Two questions were asked of voters statewide. First: “Do you think the state of Maryland should or should not conduct studies to develop what are known as ‘best practices’ guidelines – including environmental protection guidelines – for energy companies to follow before permitting ‘hydraulic fracturing’ when drilling for natural gas in Maryland?” Seventy one percent of respondents said “yes”.

The second question asked: “If such studies were required, should the energy companies or the taxpayers pay for them?” An extraordinary eight in ten voters (81 percent) said energy companies should pay for this research.

“This poll confirms what I’ve heard in every corner of the state – that from Baltimore City to Deep Creek Lake, Marylanders overwhelmingly support our go-slow approach to fracking,” said Del. Heather Mizeur, sponsor of House Bill 1204. The legislation to fund fracking studies passed by a wide majority in the House last week.  “Taxpayers deserve the peace of mind that comes from scientific review of this controversial drilling practice and they shouldn’t be stuck footing the bill to pay for it,” said Mizeur.

A companion bill – SB 798 – is now before the Senate Education, Health and the Environmental Affairs Committee.

The poll found that support for studying fracking was significantly high in western Maryland, where the drilling would be concentrated. In the three westernmost counties – Allegany, Garrett, and Washington counties – 65 percent of voters think studies should be conducted. Another eight percent of western Marylanders were not willing to support this research because they do not believe fracking should be permitted at all.

Western Maryland landowner and wine-grower Paul Roberts said: “Our region has a world-class tourism industry dependent on a healthy natural environment. I don’t want it threatened by gas-drilling techniques that the industry is still figuring out.”

The results of the poll showed significant support for studies to develop fracking guidelines among every voter subgroup— including Republicans. Sixty seven percent of Republicans and 74 percent of Democrats supported conducting studies.

Mike Tidwell, Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said: “These poll results couldn’t be clearer. The time has come for the Maryland Senate to follow the House’s lead and pass a bill to fund appropriate studies to determine if the ‘fracking’ drilling method is worth the risks.”

The Marcellus Shale is a mile-deep deposit of rock-encased natural gas stretching from New York to Tennessee and running beneath much of western Maryland. HB 1204/SB 798 – sponsored on the Senate side by Senator Brian Frosh — would simply require energy companies to pay a modest fee of $15 per leased acre of land for drilling to fund a set of environmental studies and a “best practices” report before the state can determine whether this drilling technique should be permitted in Maryland. Under the bill, there would also be an assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by this drilling method.

Fracking has arisen as a controversial and potentially dangerous method for extracting natural gas. Money raised from The Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Study Fee Act (SB 798/HB 1204) would fund the crucial work of a Maryland commission tasked with studying the full impacts of fracking. Governor O’Malley created this commission in 2011, but without dedicated funding, the commission is unable to conduct the research needed.

The OpinionWorks poll of 601 Maryland voters has a margin of error of ±4.0% and was conducted March 16-19. It was commissioned by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

You can download the poll results here.

###