Democrats at the state capital are calling for a two-year moratorium on a procedure used to extract hard-to-reach oil and gas deposits.
They are taking aim at a process called hydraulic fracturing – or “fracking” – where water, sand, and chemicals are sent down a well to loosen stubborn pockets of gas and oil.
Here's a demo of how it works from Chesapeake Energy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0kmskvJFt0
Critics say it has caused pollution and dried-up water wells in other states.
State Representative Jeff Irwin thinks the procedure needs to be more tightly regulated as it becomes more common in Michigan.
He said more study is needed on the potential effects of deep-rock fracking on the world’s largest supply of fresh water.
“We have a tremendous amount to protect here in Michigan with our surface waters and our Great Lakes,” Irwin said. “When you think about what makes Michigan a special place to be, it’s really our water. It’s the one thing that we have that makes us unique over and above anyplace in the world. We have the best water resources in the world.”
Irwin said new rules should include limits on groundwater withdrawals and full disclosure of all chemicals used.
Brad Wurfel with the state Department of Environmental Quality said Michigan has some of the strictest fracking regulations in the country, and that the process has been safely used in the state's shallow rock for decades.
“If you look around the state, you’ll see where oil and gas producers over the past 60 years have fracked probably on the order of around 12,000 wells,” said Wurfel.
Wurfel said the state updated its drilling regulations in May to address hydro-fracking deeper into the rock.
