Sylva Herald: Possibility of natural gas deposits in Jackson County sparks fracking debate

From the Sylva Herald

By Quintin Ellison

Rock samples collected this summer or fall in the northernmost part of Jackson County will be analyzed to help determine whether natural gas is present here, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources confirmed today.

The geologic formation, called the Great Smoky Mountains Group, starts north of Sylva and runs from there into Haywood County.

The Great Smoky Mountains Group contains certain key organic rich formations that indicate the possibility of natural gas deposits, DENR Public Information Officer Jamie Kritzer said. Jackson, Haywood, Macon, Swain, Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties are the only places in Western North Carolina where such hints of natural gas can be found.

Read the full story here.

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About Carrie Eidson
Multimedia journalist and Green Scene editor at Mountain Xpress. Part-time Twitterer @mxenv but also reachable at ceidson@mountainx.com. Follow me @carrieeidson

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