MDN Weekly Update – May 15, 2011
Thank you to all of you who voted in last week’s (and MDN’s first-ever) online poll. Here are the results from 403 MDN readers:
Are You in Favor of Shale Gas Drilling?
Yes – with safeguards in place (69%, 278 Votes)
No – can’t be done safely (26%, 103 Votes)
Not sure – still forming an opinion (5%, 22 Votes)
Total Voters: 403
This Week’s Poll
I’ve made no bones about the fact that I believe the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is “out of bounds” in trying to regulate hydraulic fracturing. It is my opinion that regulation of gas drilling is best left to the individual states. Others will argue that water crosses boundaries in the form of rivers and streams and aquifers, and therefore a federal role is important to protect water supplies. I’m interested in knowing what you think. So this week’s question, as plainly and succinctly as I can ask it (no hidden agendas, no attempt to manipulate the outcome for those who like to needle me) is: Should the federal EPA regulate hydraulic fracturing? Go to any page on the website and click to vote on the right-hand side of the page. I’ll report the results next week.
Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.
Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor