The Associated Press article "Study: Water free of toxins," July 20, presents a misleading depiction of the severe realities of hydrofracking. A study with a sample size of one can hardly be used to justify the introduction of hundreds of thousands of hydrofracking wells in New York. While it is true not all hydrofracking wells inevitably leak, the fact that one did not after only one year of monitoring does not effectively end the discussion on hydrofracking. Hydrofracking may have dangerous implications for millions of New Yorkers, and any study conducted must be substantial and conclusive to be applicable to the debate.
There are ample substantiated facts and numbers on hydrofracking to consider, like the 161 cases of water contamination in Pennsylvania over only four years (http://tinyurl.com/mm6jnhj), a spill from a gas-processing plant into Parachute Creek in Colorado (http://tinyurl.com/o9grtla), and the 25 percent asthma rate for young children near the heaviest drilling sites in Texas compared to the 7 percent state-wide rate, (http://tinyurl.com/kr6zbqs).
These are the facts that matter, and these are the facts about which people should be informed.
Miriam Frost
Saratoga Springs
