Sen. George Edwards and Del. Wendell Beitzel are being deluded by industry hype when they state that shale gas drilling is low risk and promises economic benefits ("Low risk in shale gas drilling," Jan. 5).

I am a homeowner in Maryland and also in upstate New York, where shale gas drilling is being debated. Look at the news stories coming out of Pennsylvania and other states where this type of drilling is underway. It is bringing economic hardship to towns, damage to rural roads, loss of clean water and air, plummeting property values, health hazards to landowners who have wells being drilled, industrialization of pristine areas, and toxic releases of chemicals. The jobs are not realized and the damage is huge. Maryland should look closely at the experience of other states before allowing this kind of drilling.

Rebecca Ruggles, Baltimore