Would You Drink It?

Would you drink it?”  That’s what James Osborn, clad in overalls and a fluorescent green safety vest, asked the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission while pouring fracking wastewater into clear cups.  Others in attendance for the public comment session looked on in horror as Mr. Osborn poured the foul looking yellow-brown water into the cups. The public comment session was held to discuss the application for an out-of-state company to dump 10,000 gallons of fracking wastewater per day into a well in northwestern Nebraska.  With agriculture being the biggest business in Nebraska, many Nebraskans are concerned that the wastewater from fracking will contaminate groundwater and the agriculture industry.  Nebraskans, such as James Osborn, are also concerned about the effect of fracking wastewater on the drinking water supply and public health. Nationwide, fracking creates 280 billion gallons of wastewater each year.  With such significant public health concerns, there must be a better way to meet our energy needs.  Using renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal sources is a cleaner and healthier way forward.  To learn how you can help your city move towards renewable energy visit our website athttps://archiveedn.wpengine.com/greencities/ Eric Petterson, Fellow