The U.S. public favors greater regulation of hydraulic fracturing, a natural gas drilling technique that has reduced prices for consumers while raising environmental concerns.
More than three times as many Americans say there should be more regulation of fracturing, known as fracking, than less, according to a Bloomberg News National Poll conducted March 8-11. The findings coincide with recent surveys in Ohio and New York where people who believe fracking will cause environmental damage outnumber those who say the process is safe.
That actually doesnt surprise me, Mark Boling, executive vice president for Houston-based Southwestern Energy Co. (SWN), said of the poll results in an interview. We have been so focused as an industry on figuring out how to crack the code and get these huge volumes of gas trapped in shale formations. We havent focused on the things we have to do differently above ground.
Because of fracking, the U.S. is producing so much gas that the government may approve an export terminal after warning four years ago of a need to boost imports. Gas from shale, fine- grained sedimentary rocks that trap the fuel, made up 23 percent of U.S. production in 2010, and is forecast to rise to 49 percent by 2035, according to the Energy Department.
Tighter Fracking Regulations Favored by 65% of U.S. in Poll - Bloomberg
More than three times as many Americans say there should be more regulation of fracturing, known as fracking, than less, according to a Bloomberg News National Poll conducted March 8-11. The findings coincide with recent surveys in Ohio and New York where people who believe fracking will cause environmental damage outnumber those who say the process is safe.
That actually doesnt surprise me, Mark Boling, executive vice president for Houston-based Southwestern Energy Co. (SWN), said of the poll results in an interview. We have been so focused as an industry on figuring out how to crack the code and get these huge volumes of gas trapped in shale formations. We havent focused on the things we have to do differently above ground.
Because of fracking, the U.S. is producing so much gas that the government may approve an export terminal after warning four years ago of a need to boost imports. Gas from shale, fine- grained sedimentary rocks that trap the fuel, made up 23 percent of U.S. production in 2010, and is forecast to rise to 49 percent by 2035, according to the Energy Department.
Tighter Fracking Regulations Favored by 65% of U.S. in Poll - Bloomberg
