Good turnout at informational fracking meeting held at SIC

Many local residents turned out for an informational meeting about the possibility of fracking in Southern Illinois Wednesday morning at the Visual and Performing Arts Center at Southeastern Illinois College.

The group of around 60 people was made up of a wide variety of people interested in the issue. Some are mainly concerned about the possible negative impacts on the environment, while others were looking for information about the legal and financial impacts on a farmer who chooses to lease farmland for oil and gas production.

The meeting was held by the University of Illinois Extension office with support from the Farm Bureau. The two presenters who provided information about fracking were from the University of Ohio Extension office, where fracking has already taken place. In a handout provided by presenters Chris Penrose and Clif Little, they said the workshop was developed to educate landowners about oil and gas leases.

"Leasing and drilling activity is expected to increase in your areas," the handout said.

According to a handout by the local U of I Extension office, energy companies from all over the nation are working to secure mineral rights leases in Southern Illinois because the geological conditions in the region suggest carbon fuels exist. If the energy companies are right about the carbon fuels in the area, fracking could lead to a variety of long-term impacts on individuals and communities.

However, the issue has been extremely controversial. Some argue fracking will lead to a much-needed economic boom in an area with a struggling economy. Others say fracking leads to environmental concerns including air pollution, water pollution or methane gas explosions, in addition to the many possible health-related issues. Studies also suggest the process of disposing the water used in fracking by injecting it deep into the earth has been linked to earthquakes in Ohio.

The meeting was purely informational and did not take a side about whether fracking truly does lead to environmental and health issues. However, the presenters did encourage landowners to take some time to consider their options before leasing mineral rights to any oil and gas company.

"I'm not here to be pro- or anti-fracking," Penrose said. "I'm just here to give you the best information I can."

Penrose went on to say that before a landowner considers signing a lease, they should have the contract reviewed by a trusted attorney.

"Don't rush," he said. "Don't panic."

"This has the potential to be life-changing. It can be life-changing for the better. It can be life-changing for the worse," Penrose said.

He said farmers who own larger amounts of land are more likely to benefit from leasing to oil and gas companies than smaller operations. Penrose, a farmer himself, said he has been approached many times by oil and gas companies in Ohio. He said over 60,000 wells have been fracked in Ohio and over a million in the country.

"This is the dilemma I'm in - at what cost am I willing to have potential damage to my farm for a long time?" Penrose said, adding that he has not leased his mineral rights.

He said most of the known environmental hazards connected to fracking have been caused by improper infrastructure. However, currently in Illinois there are no laws to regulate the safety of a fracking operation.

Some of the other fracking-related issues discussed at the meeting were potential legal issues associated with mineral rights leases, long-term impacts on the local economy and environment, impacts from increased truck traffic near drill sites, the potential deterioration of existing infrastructure, devaluation of property values or ability to sell and responsible stewardship of the local environment, among a variety of other concerns.

The U of I Extension office and Farm Bureau issued thanks to SIC President Dr. Jonah Rice for allowing them to use the space for the meeting.

The presentation will be given again from 9:30 a.m. to noon Thursday at the Gambit Event Center in Vienna.

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<li>Stewart receives email at cstewart@dailyregister.com.</li>

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