Livingston County is one of the purest pieces of Pure Michigan. State recreation areas, bike trails, and dozens of lakes for fishing and boating add up to a wonderful quality of life that's hard to find anywhere else in Southeast Michigan.
So it's a little surprising that our elected officials have done nothing to protect that quality of life from the latest environmental threat -- deep hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as "fracking." The state of Michigan's Departmenht of Natural Resources has sold drilling rights to land underneath the Brighton Recreation Area and Lakelands Trail to oil and gas companies that open up the area to "fracking."
"Fracking" would allow companies to drill deep underground and inject millions of gallons of water, chemicals and sand into rock formations to release fossil fuels stored there. The process is not regulated by the federal government under the Clean Water Act, and companies are not required to disclose what chemicals are being used. The mixture of water, chemicals, and sand should be properly disposed of once used. A spill could ruin a lake, pollute drinking water supplies, and devastate our property values along with our recreational opportunities. Even without a spill, the presence of active wells will mean more noise, odors, and vastly increased truck traffic on roads that are already in dismal condition.
Other elected officials have taken steps to address fracking. Oakland County commissioners have held a townhall meeting explaining "fracking" and its impact on the environment when something goes wrong, as it has elsewhere.
Yet Livingston County Republicans have sat on their hands and done nothing. No townhall meeting is scheduled. It's not on agendas of the county commission.
That loud snore you hear? Our Livingston County Commissioners asleep at the switch yet again.
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