Monday, January 07, 2013

An Inconvenient Truth

The science was settled--but New York state put the fracking industry on double secret probation by keeping the science secret. But someone leaked the report to the New York Times (!):

The state’s Health Department found in an analysis it prepared early last year that the much-debated drilling technology known as hydrofracking could be conducted safely in New York.

The eight-page analysis is a summary of previous research by the state and others…[that] delves into the potential impact of fracking on water resources, on naturally occurring radiological material found in the ground, on air emissions and on “potential socioeconomic and quality-of-life impacts.”…[It] concludes that fracking can be done safely.

Environmentalists, who will be disturbed if fracking doesn't actually harm the environment, were to be shielded from this disturbing bout of science.

As Instapundit noted, that is disturbing:

Remember when the authorities used to cover up dangers? Now they’re covering up news that fracking is safe, because that harms their political agenda.

Yeah, it is odd. The state is hiding the fact that something isn't too good to be true.

Finding out that fracking can be done safely is as disappointing as hearing, "Soylent Green is textured vegetable protein!" or "TO SERVE MAN--it's--it's a development manual!"