Monday, December 17, 2012

Poll finds public favors more regulation of fracking

Public support for more regulation of hydraulic fracturing has increased in the past three months, according to a national poll by Bloomberg News. Sixty-six percent of Americans want more government control of fracking, a process by which deep, dense shale formations are cracked under high pressure with a mixture of chemicals, water and sand. The number is a 12-point increase from Bloomberg's September poll. As might be expected, fewer people want less regulation than in September. Just 18 percent favor less regulations, down from 29 percent.

"More people are aware of fracking, and they are a little bit more opposed to it," University of Texas's Sheril Kirshenbaum told Bloomberg's Mark Drajem. Drajem writes that public awareness is likely to increase even more after the release of "Promised Land," a Matt Damon film about how fracking affects a small Pennsylvania community.

Advocates of greater regulation generally want some federal role; regulation of the process is now left up to the states. The Bloomberg poll was conducted among 1,000 adults Dec. 7-10. (Read more)

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