I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about the BP oil spill, right? You know, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion that killed 11 workers and sent more than 200 million gallons of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the biggest environmental news story of the summer. How about we bring this a bit closer to home? What about fracking? Have you heard of that?

Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, is a process that involves drilling deep underground into a large area of shale and pumping up to five million gallons of water (per well) mixed with a boatload of chemicals into the fractured shale to extract natural gas.

What’s the downside? Well, the water and chemical mixture, known as fracking fluid, can leak ‘ and has leaked ‘ into the water table surrounding the drilling area. The fracking fluid and natural gas escaping into the groundwater has created some hazardous side effects, including flammable tap water and bubbling streams, to name a couple.

The nearest and largest formation of shale, known as the Marcellus Shale, begins near the Catskills and spreads down to Tennessee. The nearest fracking locations are just a hop across the border in Pennsylvania. Why is this important to you? It could come here. And by here, I mean Broome County ‘ which is where a majority of us Binghamton University students happen to live for a good portion of the year.

At the panel against fracking this past Monday, Walter Hang, the founder of Toxics Targeting, a site that investigates and monitors toxic spills around the country, provided a look at fracking sites as well as some scientific information and background about the process and its effects. Julia Walsh, the head of Frack Action, provided sharp rhetoric which placed blame on George W. Bush’s administration for taking the teeth out of EPA regulations, namely the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Clear Skies Act ‘ giving energy companies free, unregulated reign.

Mark Ruffalo, an actor and resident of Sullivan County, spoke about a visit he took to Dimock Township, Penn. to see the effects of fracking for himself.

He found families suffering. He asked them if they went to the EPA. The EPA said to get a lawyer. The lawyers were invested in fracking. They tried to get in touch with the State legislature. But the legislature was getting campaign donations from the fracking company. Do you see what’s wrong with this picture?

During the panel, a local 53-year-old woman went before the crowd and began telling Mr. Ruffalo, his fellow panel members and the audience about her life growing up in the area. During her time at the microphone, she was choking back tears. She said that she didn’t want to have to leave, but if fracking moves in, her family might have no other choice but to move out.

This simply shouldn’t be happening.

So go ahead and turn on the faucet. Smell the water. Does it smell like water should? Take a match or lighter and hold it close to the running water. Does it ignite? No? Good. It means we haven’t been fracked. Let’s keep it that way. Contact local representatives and stand up against fracking.