Extra! Extra! “Fracking is Safe!” Says New Study

This person is pretty much against fracking, but this blog post seems fair.

It may indeed seem suspicious that the industry funded its own study, but it did so per the requirements of last year’s settlement of a 2008 lawsuit.

The settlement also required that PXP agree to reduce the number of wells drilled, commission additional studies on health and air quality, and determine the effects that fracking could have on the surrounding area.

The lawsuit, filed by a coalition of organizations on behalf of community members, had been sparked by an incident in early 2006, when noxious fumes released by PXP’s drilling operations wafted through nearby residential areas. Complaints about the odors came from as far as two miles away, and a number of residents had been forced to evacuate the area.