Op-Ed: Natural Gas and Fracking Debate In Michigan Must Consider Environmental Justice
by David Sheaffer
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE as defined by the EPA is the “fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people……with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” Since natural resource extraction usually takes place in rural areas, these rural communities can be disproportionately impacted by the laws governing production and any local negative effects associated with the extraction process. Examples are numerous, but just a few include increased noise and light pollution, GHG emissions, and stress on local water resources. In Michigan, the oil and gas industry clearly impacts a small segment of the population more directly than citizens of the state as a whole.
The authors of the University of Michigan Public Health Technical Report on Hydraulic Fracturing in Michigan show that a majority of the fracking in Michigan has and is currently taking place within just eight counties. These counties collectively represent just 1.37 percent of Michigan’s total population, and as a whole these people resident in lower socio-economic areas. In addition, 12-20 percent of their populations are living on incomes below the poverty line. The natural gas industry could bring temporary jobs to these areas, assuming that the residents have the technical skills required for the work, but this would only be a short term influx. Additionally, any potential negative long-term effects such as impacts on property value, degradation of public infrastructure, or potential air or water pollution would be left for these communities to deal with long after the companies pull out their resources.
Unfortunately, in Michigan these communities really have little say as to whether or not hydraulic fracturing will take place in their vicinity. Most of the mineral rights are owned by the state to be leased off at the discretion of the DNR with no formal public hearing or comment period preceding the issue of permits other than email to the state office. The Michigan Zoning Enabling Act even prohibits local governments from specifying the location of or regulating activities of drilling operations directly. Furthermore, residents of these communities won’t even know which chemicals are being used in the fracking process until after the chemicals have already been injected into the ground. Several bills, such as HB4900 & HB4901, have been introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives to help increase industry transparency and public input over the last two years. All have been stalled in the Energy and Technology Committee.
While you’re enjoying the holidays with your family this year ask yourself these questions: If people were drilling under your land wouldn’t you want to have a say and know what is going into the ground? Wouldn’t you want the law to be on your side?
All Michiganders deserve equal treatment under the law and we owe it to these communities to make sure that their voices are heard in the ongoing discussion over oil and natural gas drilling.