Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., vetoed a permanent ban on a natural gas drilling method known as fracking, instead imposing a one-year moratorium on the practice to study the issue.
Energy and environment experts at The Heartland Institute who oppose Christie’s move offer their statements below:
“Gov. Christie’s moratorium on the hydraulic fracturing of shale gas wells is a terribly unfortunate mistake for the nation and his state,” Science Director Jay Lehr said. “We do not need a year of study as we have been hydraulically fracturing oil wells for well over 50 years with no significant harm to any groundwater supplies or impact of any kind on the environment.”
“The production of natural gas through hydraulic fracturing is turning a previously bleak domestic energy outlook into a very promising domestic energy outlook,” Senior Fellow for Environment Policy James M. Taylor said. “It is unfortunate that the heavily Democrat New Jersey legislature and Republican Gov. Chris Christie are pandering to fear mongering rather than the scientific facts.”
“Gov. Christie’s conditional veto of the hydraulic fracturing ban is considerably more prudent than the alternative, but is unnecessary given the state’s lack of development potential,” Legislative Specialist for Environment Policy John Monaghan said. “This action has little, if any, policy significance and serves only to empower environmental activists in nearby states to prevent safe development of their own proven resources.”
The Heartland Institute is a 27-year-old national nonprofit organization with offices in Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Columbus, Ohio. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems.
Source: The Heartland Institute
