From 59 WVNS
Posted: Aug 02, 2012 5:54 PM EDT
Updated: Aug 09, 2012 5:55 PM EDT
By Annie Moore, Reporter
A Houston-based oil company puts plans to drill for Marcellus Shale in Monroe County on hold.
In 2011, Monroe County commissioners entered into an agreement with Gordy Oil, effectively allowing landowners to consent to exploratory drilling agreements with the company.
At the time, many residents opposed to the controversial practice known as ‘fracking,' voiced concerns to the county commission about potential effects on the underground water table, public health, and the environment.
"The biggest thing is, it's not going to harm anything. That's what you hear. It's not going to hurt your water. It's not going to hurt people. In the long run, though, somebody's going to pay for it," said Amy Cold-South, a concerned citizen.
A year later, though, Gordy Oil's presence in Monroe County has all but vanished.
County Commissioners attribute the disappearance not to growing opposition to the practice but to the price of oil. It simply isn't worth their while, they say, to drill new holes right now without knowing how much of the rock lies beneath.
When the price of oil does bounce back, and Gordy Oil returns, Union resident John Harvey said the company won't be welcomed back by everyone.
"I think they can stay somewhere else, move on, stay away from Monroe County anyway," said Harvey.
This is my bit of a blog. Rambling words about rambling days. No focus and nothing ambitious. I seem to write most about local color, nature, and animals, and there is an incomplete chunk about my road trips of 2011.
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