New Yorkers clearly back “fracking” in their state, a poll last week showed. If NJ Gov. Chris Christie is wise, he’ll allow it in his state, too.
Jersey lawmakers tried to score cheap political points in June by passing a bill to ban hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” — extracting natural gas or oil from rock formations by injecting a high-pressure mix of water, chemicals and sand.
But if Christie lets the ban become law, it would do enormous damage.
To the nation. To Jersey. And even to Christie’s own political prospects (should he ever decide to seek national office).
If he’s smart, he’ll veto the bill fast.
Fracking’s economic benefits are huge. Alas, enviro-Luddites oppose it, despite scant evidence that it poses any harm.
Fortunately, in June, Gov. Cuomo’s Department of Environmental Conservation said fracking can be done safely and urged the state to allow it. Cuomo, who’ll decide after public comment, appears to agree.
But Jersey’s lawmakers seek to outlaw it.
Since no one was looking to frack in the Garden State, which has little natural gas, they likely thought they could pander to enviros without suffering much political backlash. Big mistake.
A Jersey ban could spread unwarranted fear of the process. Other states may move to ban it, too. And America relies heavily on natural gas; even radical enviros agree it’s a cleaner energy source than, say, coal or oil.
Meanwhile, the nation is thought to contain vast stores of gas in a number of rock formations — notably in the Marcellus Shale, which runs through New York’s Southern Tier, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and western Virginia.
That gas remained untapped until recent technological advances, which combine fracking and horizontal drilling, made it possible to extract it safely.
In Pennsylvania, an entire new industry has already blossomed. A recent study said the state would see a $12.8 billion windfall this year alone. Some 140,000 new jobs, inside and outside the industry, have sprung up.
This state, too, could see thousands of new jobs, rejuvenating upstate’s economy. No wonder New Yorkers are frack-backers and Cuomo seems set to lift the state’s ban: “The economic reports from Pennsylvania show the potential financial and economic rewards from developing this industry,” an aide said.
Even Jersey, by the way — despite having little natural gas — benefits from its development: Drilling already accounts for some 25,000 jobs and $5.5 billion in economic activity in the state, industry figures show.
Christie should take a hint from New York. If he cares about the nation’s energy and economy — or even just Jersey’s — he should veto the ban.