Thousands of comments collected for public input on NC fracking rules

The next public comment meeting will be held from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, September 12 at the Bardo Fine & Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. For more information or to submit a comment, click here.

From a Press Release:

Thousands of Comments Collected for Public Input on Fracking Rules

Raleigh, NC – NC League of Conservation Voters has been engaged in an effort to contact concerned citizens during the public comment period on proposed fracking rules. Through an aggressive grassroots campaign, both online and on the ground, nearly 2,000 public comments have been collected to date.

The NC Mining and Energy Commission (MEC), the regulatory body empowered by the state legislature to oversee the regulation of fracking in North Carolina, has sent its proposed rules governing fracking out for public hearing and comment. The proposed rules are complex with multiple sections.

To encourage clear and effective public participation in this rulemaking process, NCLCV is focusing on two areas: enforcement of pollution controls on fracking wells and permitting of proposed fracking wells. The organization has also prepared fact sheets on the rules’ enforcement plans and permitting process. They can be accessed here along with information on submitting comments: nclcv.org/fracking.

In-person hearings on the proposed MEC fracking rules begin today, Wednesday, August 20, in Raleigh. The hearing will be held from 10am to 2pm at NC State’s McKimmon Center, 1101 Gorman St., Raleigh. The hearings continue across the state and include: Sanford, August 22; Reidsville, August 25; and Cullowhee, September 12.

NCLCV will encourage members to submit comments until the September 30th deadline. Field teams in Raleigh, Winston-Salem, and Charlotte will collect comments from the general public. NCLCV’s goal is to have 10,000 North Carolinians submit comments to make sure that if fracking happens, it is done in the safest, most environmentally-conscious way possible.