Anti-Fracking Protest at Buffalo State College

This is great to finally see some activism in this but really, Buffalonians thinking about the world around them? That's a shocker.

Every time I see a "Frack Protest" organizing, all I can think of is how ignorant these people are to push away from domestic energy. Right now we (the US) purchase 12 million barrels of oil, per day, from OPEC. Our own natural gas reserves could help close this festering wound, which sends billions and billions of US dollars over seas, year after year. Please educate yourself people. Natural gas is cleaner than coal & oil, cheaper than coil & oil, and readily available. Hydro-fracking has been used for 50+ years, and is 100% safe, as long as companies follow best practice casing/cementing principles and do not cut corners. If bad concrete is used on a building, it falls down. We blame the people at fault and make them stop constructing building, but we do berate the entire industry. C'mon people, let’s educate ourselves, and not jump on the bandwagon of every high emotion issue that gets politicized.

This company uses hydrofracking for natural gas excavation. This has been considered a clean energy for quite some time. They don't want this to happen which means SUNY would get their energy from dirtier ways that have much more negative impacts on the world. They should use these numbers to get SUNY to install winds turbines on or near the campus to power their campus. I love on their Facebook page it says "incredibly unsafe" and "desecrating the Earth and hurting all those wonderful things that live within it" The problem is its not unsafe what so ever. Its also putting fluids deep into the ground where fossils live. Nothing lives down there. Some fluids could seep up to the water table but normally don't. Compared to how other fuels are found and made this ranks quite low on the list. Now I am not saying that other, more sustainable forms of energy shouldn't be sought out but this is a relatively clean and safe procedure for natural gas fuel extraction.

Chris Sanford is right. Fracking isn't dangerous. Careless construction of the wells is dangerous.

Roads cave in all the time, because of careless construction and settling underneath the pavement. That doesn't stop us from driving.

Fracking, when done properly is perfectly safe, when corners are not cut and guidelines are not followed.

Instead of protesting against something that you don't know, put you sign down and read. All you college kids who are protesting not having job could get one if fracking were allowed.

The other posts are correct. It has been practiced for years and the technology exists to do it safely. I do agree that Fracking needs to be properly regulated.

But all the sheep do what your told and jump on the wagon because anti-fracking is the new cool thing to protest against. Mr. Bornemisza certainly doesn't speak for me when saying that all college students are against Fracking.

We have one of the largest natural gas deposits in the world sitting under portions of NY that have the potential to create thousands of jobs. PA is already heavily vested in the practice and has demostrated it can be done safely.

There's a simple statement that can be substituted for most protests, including this anti-fracking movement: "Do better."
The process of hydraulic fracturing "hydrofracking" has been going on for a long time, but horizontal exploration with explosives is a relatively new feature with certain advancements in this technology made over the last 8 years making it even more lucrative to developers because extraction rates are significantly increased with this process on areas that used to be deemed unsuitable for traditional methods of drilling, including older methods of hydraulic fracturing. The safety record of such wells may seem viable but long-term effects are understudied; however, the disposal of chemically treated water used in the process remains a significant concern. Also, few people seem to connect the fact that pumping millions of gallons of once-fresh ground water that has to come from somewhere causes a strain on local aquafiers and water supplies. This fresh water is no longer viable for drinking, traditional treatment, or, currently, disposal. We like to think, living on the great lakes loaded with an abundance of fresh water supply that it is endless, but current models indicate that under our current rates of consumption water might become a commodity to surpass all other fuels. By using these wasteful practices we make that future all the closer. So the call should be: "Do Better." It's very likely the current short-term environmental policy based on profits and speed will be the thing our grandchildren will curse us for.

The self proclaimed experts on fracking are the truly ignorant, not those that seek to protect our environment from the excesses of the the highly profitable extraction industry. We presently do not have near enough history or information on whether fracking is safe. The industry has been waging a propaganda campaign to limit debate and minimize the risks of fracking. Most scientists that do not work for the industry have many questions and concerns around fracking. It is just common sense that injecting large quantities of dangerous chemicals into the earth might result in unanticipated consequences.

I own land on top the Marcellus shale in the Franklinville area. My property has numerous springs ranging from an elevation of 1750 to 2200 feet above sea level. These natural springs have provided fresh water for thousands of years and are the source of a small stream located on my property. That small stream flows into Ischua Creek and then on to the Alleghany River and eventually feeds the Mississippi River. My point is that it is all connected, any impact locally is felt in the entire ecosystem. It is simply naive or worse just basic greed that blinds so many to the risk and long term consequences of fracking.

I don't Give a frack.

Buffalo State is a NY State institution. Fracking is up to now, illegal in New York State. Kudos, Buff State students, for demanding that your institution comply with the spirit of the law.

Fracking is never safe, its the huge natural gas companies that would like you believe that there are safe ways frack.

the oklahoma geological survey reports that fracking is associated with an increased risk of earthquakes:

http://www.ogs.ou.edu/pubsscanned/openfile/OF1_2011.pdf

I wonder what formation Energy Mark plans to get gas from for the Buff State and UB campuses. The Marcellus is exposed at the surface south of the city. A 4300 foot deep well drilled at Bethlehem Steel did not encounter the Utica Shale, either(another target). I guess they are looking at the Medina sandstone which is less than 1000 feet below the surface at Buff State. But whatever their thinking, the Buffalo City Council boldly banned that deadly practice of FRACKING within the city limits. Thank God for our city leadership!

First of all Fracking has in no way been proven safe by any accounts. Sure they have been doing it for years but the areas in which they have these wells have produced a lot of evidence against these companies that their practices damage overall public health and can/have infected the ground water. The EPA is doing a study and while they haven't come to any conclusions yet, they have warned the people to not drink, bathe, or clean anything with their tap water. If there was nothing to worry about, why would the EPA tell people to avoid their tap water at all costs?

Secondly, just because Natural Gas may be "greener" than oil and coal on combustion does not take into account any of the other parts of this practice. Their will have to be several thousand truck trips back and forth between these wells to retrieve and deliver the waste water and the gas itself. Once used the waste water has no where to be stored and there is no known way to make the waste water pure again.

When will people realize that pushing tons of danger chemicals into our planet is so obviously dangerous and unhealthy to the Earth and all living things?

And to whoever asked, the gas is coming from Pennsylvania.

I'd take nuclear energy over fracking or any fossil fuel any day. How many nuclear disasters have we had in the past decade, compare that to the number of fossil fuel disasters and the magnitude of impact.

For all of you currently buying any natural gas from sources like National Fuel, NYSEG and RG&E, you are and have been receiving natual gas from the wells in PA for years. In fact NFG is one of the most prolific drillers. The pipeline that has been servicing the Buffalo area for years is where the natural gas will be supplied from for UB. The natural gas coming out of the pipes to the schools is exactly the same as they have been receiving, the only change is who they are paying. There is no way to separate the gas by the method of its drilling, a molecule is a molecule.
For those of you that think you are not receiving the benefits from the Marcellus Shale fracked gas you are mistaken. With the supply of natural gas flooding the market it has driven down the price. That lower price helps electicity generators to sell their electricity cheaper into the NY market so electricity users are benefiting from the fracked gas. Manufacturing in the area can make their goods a little cheaper and compete in the market place against goods from China. The federal government reports that 46% of the natural gas in the US is coming from unconventional drilling. While NY may not want those wells drilled here there are plenty of other states that are grabbing the money.
Its sad that a small company in NY is being criticized for wanting to make money, I guess the people in Buffalo would rather a large corporation like Hess and NFR get the contracts and take the money out of NY.