Nearby: Public Meeting Set To Discuss Fracking in Floyd County

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Floyd County, GA -- The Coosa River Basin Initiative will host an informational meeting next week for local property owners to better understand their mineral rights and to discuss concerns associated with fracking, a controversial drilling technique used to extract fossil fuels found in underground shale formations.

Beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 at Armuchee Middle School, representatives from the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) will address a wide range of impacts from opening rural areas to oil and gas exploration, including the burdens on local water supplies, industrialization and heavy truck traffic involved in storing and transporting the extracted fuel.

Since 2013, oil and gas companies have approached local property owners seeking to purchase mineral rights in hopes of tapping into the Conasauga Shale Field that underlies much of northwest Georgia.

More recently, a number of property owners in the Armuchee area have been solicited.

“Many local residents have contacted us for help and advice, and this meeting is an opportunity to educate individual property owners and the community as a whole about the real risks fracking can pose,” said David Tucker, CRBI Executive Director. “We don’t want this kind of fossil fuel exploration to possibly compromise our air and water. SELC’s insight on fracking impacts and regulatory issues in other states will be valuable as we deal with this issue in our own backyards.”

The fracking process involves injecting millions of gallons of highly-pressurized water, sand and chemicals into horizontally-drilled wells in underground shale formations. The pressurized mixture causes the underlying rock layer to crack, and the sand holds the cracks open for the gas to escape and flow up the well.

While parts of the fracking process have been used for decades, recent technological advancements have piqued industry interest in exploring areas previously thought unsuitable for fracking.

Where fracking has occurred, some communities have experienced significant transformation from fracking’s large industrial footprint. Without strong regulations in place, these communities can face unwanted disruption and public health risks, including contamination of local air and water resources.

SELC will explore some of the environmental and community concerns around fracking and the rights of local citizens during the February 18th informational session.

CRBI encourages individuals to register for the meeting by clicking here. For more information, contact Joe Cook at 706-409-1028 or jcook@coosa.org.

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