As legislators debate whether N.C. rift basins could be subject to hydraulic fracturing, one self-proclaimed fracker said he is out to inform the public.
Larry Murdoch, a professor at Clemson University, spoke at the Tate-Turner-Kuralt auditorium Tuesday about the benefits and consequences of fracking.
Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, involves using a pipe to drill into the soil and injecting a gel-like fluid to increase pressure in the hole.
As the fluid is pushed out of the pipe, natural gas is pushed out of the hole and used as an energy source.
“We are a society that craves energy, whether we want to warm our houses in the winter or cool ourselves in the summer,” Murdoch told a crowd of about 80 people.
“So 10 years ago, the industry created a technique to get gas from shale by drilling vertically, then horizontally into the ground,” Murdoch said.
Murdoch said the process brought wealth to energy and oil companies, but created serious environmental consequences.
Fracking can leak toxic chemicals, contaminate groundwater and release methane gas into wells and the environment, Murdoch said.
He added that there are few rules for the companies that drill into the ground for natural gas.