Town Hall Meeting in Highland Township on Oil & Gas Drilling and “Fracking

Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash will hold a town hall meeting to focus on the impact of new state-issued oil and natural gas drilling leases in Oakland County. These leases could bring “fracking” to our area.

The town hall meeting begins at 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 25th at 209 N. John Street in Highland Township. Joining Commissioner Nash will be Hal Fitch of the Department of Environmental Quality. A question and answer period will follow the speakers.

“Fracking is an emerging issue that is of critical importance for our region,” Nash said. “That’s why my office will continue to hold these kinds of meetings throughout Oakland County. Our residents need to be informed and learn about topics that can affect our quality of life.”

Fracking, the common term for slick water horizontal fracturing, drills wells up to two miles into the earth, then turns the drill bit horizontally to drill up to several miles. The resulting well is then filled with millions of gallons of fresh water mixed with sand, salts and chemicals. This mixture is then subjected to bursts of intense pressure to loosen rock formations and release natural gas. Many fear possible contamination of groundwater resources and have voiced concerns about disposal of the resulting fracking fluids.

Thousands of acres of land in Oakland has been leased to Jordan Exploration over the past year for exploration and possible drilling, including many sites in Highland Township.

Source: Charles "Chip" Tischer