Nothing in Fracking Benefits These Essentials.

We took a weekend trip north. Here are my observations:

Some here admire a northern county's gas and oil boom. They should take a closer look. Flat and with dirty skies, this particular county is no Huerfano County in terms of scenic wonders. Brown tanks and black burn-off stacks virtually line the highways there. It is just two years into a fracking boom and grass and crop lands are growing more and more barren due to service roads and well pads.  Will fly-by-night drilling companies post adequate bonds to heal the land in Huerfano County?  Who is minding the store? It is very understandable to collect a sign-on fee to lease your mineral rights, but seller's remorse may be settling in when you think about the damage to come. What to do? There is nothing in mineral leases protecting drillers when informed public opinion brings second thoughts. It is entirely reasonable, after looking at places where fracking has marred the landscape, to affirm that we have the right and the duty to protect our livestock, our water, our landscape, and our loved ones from a similar fate. With Shell leaving, there are already signs that the boom has become a bubble.  Boom, bubble, bust.  If Huerfano County were to be fracked to the limit, it would fuel the United States for around 20 days.  That isn't much of a trade-off. I get kind of a sick feeling when I think about Huerfano County looking like a  wasteland for the rest of my life. And remember, healthy livestock, like healthy people, require clean air, clean soil, healthy nutrition, and good water. Nothing in fracking benefits these essentials.