Regarding "Yes, a drilling moratorium," March 26, the science on fracking actually is in. That's why we activists are calling for a ban once and for all, not "moratoriums." Moratoriums are better than giving the OK to fracking, but they "kick the can down the road," so to speak; they're also very politically convenient, especially for governors with their eyes on national offices.
Meanwhile, people wonder what all the fuss is about and why government "bureaucracy" is "once again" "stopping business" and "killing jobs." The more moratoriums, the more fracking lurks in the background, with people getting complacent and letting it through just out of inertia. Few people really know what horizontal hydrofracking entails and why the process itself is dangerous and cannot be regulated; it can only be banned.
Fracking has been linked to water contamination, livestock death, and earthquakes — all of which have been found by reputable scientists without ties to the oil and gas industries. Homes near fracking sites also experience lower property values after all is said and done. We do not need to delay any longer. We need a ban, and soon.
Roberta Winters, Queens