If you search “fracking” on the internet, you’ll find one anecdotal story after another littering websites supposedly offering a “real” look at natural gas development. All of them, of course, are negative in tone.  As someone who was on the fence on this topic only a couple of years ago, I can attest to how difficult this can make it for someone searching for honest-to-goodness facts on the development process.  It can be downright exhausting.  The advice hammered into us over many years of school to always make sure you know your source couldn’t be more appropriate, but it’s all too easy to forget when passions seem to rule the day.

We hear from varying sources that we should not trust the industry, the activists, the universities, the regulators, the government, or the landowners. So where does one turn when looking for real facts, real pictures and a real perspective on what’s occurring?  Well, realistically, that depends on what information you are seeking, and probably a combination of all of the above will give the best perspective.  A recent anecdotal story on Bradford County written by Carol French offers a great opportunity walk through the ways to fact check.

Only the Shadow Knows

French’s story is filled with hyperbole and baseless assertions intended to raise suspicions of something nefarious taking place in the shadows.  Consider, for example, this statement:

French:  In the early spring of 2006, a nice man was in the area, promoting a chance to dream of better times for Bradford County and its farmers. There was promise of jobs for everyone and the farmer would generate money from signing a lease, and if a gas well was drilled on the farmer’s property he would become rich.

There are a vast array of sources out there to check the validity of this statement.  French has made it all out to be some sort of pipe dream, but is it?  In fact, individual landowners have become very wealthy from the leasing and/or development of their lands, local economies are booming and more local people are employed than ever.  But, don’t just take my word for it.  Google some terms like “Bradford County unemployment,” “Bradford County economic development,” “Bradford County impact fee,” and take a look at some independent sources like the Central Bradford Progress Authority or the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Here is some of what I was able to find doing these searches:

• “Bradford County, located in the northeast Pennsylvania, now owns the distinction of lowest unemployment rate — it fell to 5.1 percent in February.” (Daily Collegian, April 2011)
• Current unemployment rate in Bradford county is (as of August 2012) 6.6 percent, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Marcellus Fast Facts.
• “For example, gas industry spending (excluding leases and royalties) to drill the 386 wells in Bradford County during 2010 likely was around $2.4 billion, given average per well expenditures. This is larger than the size of Bradford County’s total economy in 2009, which was $1.8 billion, as measured by total person income (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis).” (Economic Impacts of Marcellus Shale in Bradford County, 2010, p. 7)

Read more at http://eidmarcellus.org/marcellus-shale/fact-check-natural-gas-in-b...

Also within the post, a shout-out for GoMarcellusShale:

Leasing offers take many forms and the market is ever changing, but there are some great resources online to help landowners make educated decisions on these matters.  If a landowner has been approached by a land man or woman for a gas lease, pipeline or other infrastructure, they can visit a variety of forums to review their options and experiences against others within their area.  Some great ones are: