I may not be educated about the politics of fracking, but having driven past the drilling sites here I cannot agree that it is right for our area ("Fracking, and the workers it draws, change a region's cultural landscape," Feb. 19).
The economic profit for a small number of landowners compared to the devastation wrought by these large sites in Garrett County, which is tourism-based, makes no sense.
I live in an area off the beaten path nowhere near Deep Creek Lake; yet we have weekend visitors with little cottages all around our area. I cannot imagine how we can say come breathe our clean air, visit our beautiful wilderness and experience nature when down the road a huge fracking site has leveled the hillside.
When you hear of earthquakes, fires at sites, water issues and trucks running up and down the road, how can we just jump on the bandwagon?
These resources are not going away. As time goes by, we will learn more about the positives and negatives of fracking. The money will be there for years to come, so as technology develops, we may find more proof it is safe.
Why not allow more time for research into the experience of other regions so we can make a more informed decision?
Sandy Derato, Accident