Don't Frack N.C.
With some lawmakers angling to lift our limitations on “fracking” in 2012, thousands are standing strong to protect our rural land and waters like the Deep River from this hazardous new method of gas drilling
Out-of-state companies angling to frack
Out-of-state gas companies are pushing the General Assembly to allow a new, dangerous form of gas drilling in North Carolina. In particular, they're eyeing land near the Deep River in the rural Piedmont, where "fracking" could scar priceless scenery and contaminate drinking water. We're uniting North Carolinians and urging lawmakers to protect North Carolina's rural landscapes and drinking water from fracking.
A new and dangerous form of gas drilling
Today, fracking is banned across the state, but some in the General Assembly want to change that. In fact, gas companies have already bought up leases in Chatham, Moore and Lee counties between Charlotte and the Triangle.
Across the country, fracking has damaged landscapes and polluted the air while resulting in more than 1,000 suspected cases of drinking water contamination.
Protecting farmland, the Deep River and more
"Fracking," shorthand for hydraulic fracturing, is the process by which water, sand, and toxic chemicals are injected into wells to fracture the surrounding rock and extract shale gas.
In addition to threatening water supplies, fracking jeopardizes the birding trails, nature preserves, farmland and treasured waterways — like the Deep River — that make Chatham, Moore and Lee counties so special.
That's why Environment North Carolina is calling on the General Assembly to retain the state's ban on fracking — to protect these rural landscapes, and the rest of North Carolina, from this risky new drilling practice.
With your activism and our advocacy, we can protect our rural landscapes
We refuse to let our precious rural landscapes become scarred by fracking, or the drinking water that serves 200,000 to become tainted — and we have a plan to convince state leaders to maintain North Carolina's prohibition on fracking. We're bringing together North Carolinians from all walks of life to protect our land. All of us — bird-watchers, hikers, tourism businesses and North Carolinians across the state — have something to fight for.
Our citizen outreach staff has been knocking on doors across the state to educate North Carolinians about what's at stake.
And thousands of you have joined the fight too. Across the state, you're calling or emailing your legislators, signing petitions, spreading the word to your friends and family, and speaking out at official hearings.
Join our campaign, and take action to protect our rural landscapes, by clicking here.
Call on your leaders in Raleigh to protect our rural landscapes and prevent fracking in North Carolina.
Key Facts
- Fracking has been linked to more than 1,000 cases of water contamination across the country, involving polluted tap water and toxic spills.
- Gas companies have already bought drilling leases in Chatham, Moore and Lee counties.
- A recent Duke University study linked fracking sites to methane contamination in drinking water.
- The Deep River, which runs through Moore and Lee counties in central N.C., is a source of drinking water, a home to rare wildlife, and a popular spot for canoeing and fishing.
- In 2011, Environment North Carolina and allied groups convinced Gov. Bev Perdue to veto the pro-drilling, pro-fracking Senate Bill 709.