Originally appeared in the Fort Collins Coloradoan on October 28, 2013

Fort Collins voters are faced with several important issues on the current ballot. The issue that has the biggest impact on public health is Issue 2A, a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. This five-year timeout would allow for scientists and health organizations to adequately study the effects of fracking in order to determine if it does in fact pose a serious health risk. Right now, we simply don’t have enough information to continue fracking in our city. 

We do know that fracking is “a water-intensive process where millions of gallons of fluid — typically water, sand, and chemicals, including ones known to cause cancer — are injected underground at high pressure to fracture the rock surrounding an oil or gas well. This releases extra oil and gas from the rock so it can flow into the well.” (www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/fracking/) 

Given that information, it is imperative that we give scientists time to study it further, before the cost to our community is the health of our children. Please vote for 2A, the fracking moratorium. 

Hunter Buffington, Fort Collins Sustainability Group