I would like to respond to The Daily Sentinel’s recent editorial titled, “Gas documentary offers anecdotes, not evidence.”

The Sentinel argued that the film, “Split Estate,” offers only anecdotes and not scientific evidence for the establishment of a relationship between residing in the vicinity of hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells and health problems. It dismissed the reports of the people depicted in this film because they do not have the status of scientific evidence.

Careful systematic studies in this domain are hard to come by because of costs involved in doing such studies. Nevertheless, there was a recent study done locally which strongly suggested a relationship between natural gas fracturing and potential health problems. It was established that the closer one lives to a well being fractured the higher the potential for health problems.

In addition, it should be pointed out the drilling corporations have been resistant to revealing the nature of their hydraulic fracturing chemicals. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, for researchers to identify such substances in drinking water and air as having come from the fracturing process.

We would prefer having available evidence based upon rigorous scientific methods.

However, when such studies are not available due to costs and other factors, case studies, such as the reports of individuals apparently adversely affected by fracturing processes should be considered as a starting point. Such reports can identify problems for further investigation using more rigorous methods. Instead of dismissing the reports of adverse consequences of the fracturing process we should take them seriously enough to perform further more rigorous investigation.

The editorial seems to imply that because, so far, definitive rigorous evidence has not been found for a relationship between fracturing and health problems this means that there is no problem. Because there is limited evidence currently available regarding health consequences of gas fracturing we should not assume that this means that there are no adverse health consequences. The absence of evidence is not evidence.

The reports of ill-health impacts of natural gas fracturing should trouble us if nothing else. We should not permit gas drilling near homes until there is definitive evidence that such practices do not harm the health of our citizens.

Robert Warehime
Battlement Mesa

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 3:34 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.