Documentary “Split Estate” Exposes the Horrors of Hydro-Fracking
By Erika C.
split estate: a situation in which the surface rights of a piece of property are owned by one party while the subsurface (mineral) rights are owned by someone else (in most cases the Federal Government).
Before I watched the documentary “Split Estate,” I had little idea what was going on with the gas drilling out west.
Further, I was unaware of how the discovery of vast amounts of new, supposedly clean energy could seriously affect life in Hancock and upstate New York, even though our school newspaper was covering stories on horizontal (hydro-fracturing) gas drilling every month.
I was outraged to see how the gas companies, in western states where property rights are “split,” can treat owners of the land they drill on. People have no real control over whether or not the government grants permission for gas companies to drill under their land, and no control over how and where drilling takes place. Drilling companies can go onto private property in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and other split estate states without the owner’s consent, endangering their families and their lifestyle.
The thing that shocked me the most is the gas companies’ seemingly complete disregard for the people they are putting at risk as a result of their drilling. In some cases drill sites or wells are as close as 200 feet from homes. There were numerous cases of families finding their water contaminated and people getting sick as a result of the toxins released in water and the air as a by-product of the fracking process.
In spite of complaints, and of evidence staring them right in the face, some of the gas companies had the audacity to turn around and say that their drilling procedures are completely harmless, and that there is no proof that their work causes these side effects.
It was easy for me to put myself in the shoes of one of these landowners. If it were my property being taken over by a gas company, I would not be able to raise a family there. I can’t imagine waking up to the sound of a drill in my backyard or watching my children play in the front with a huge waste pit 500 feet away.
As I watched the documentary I began to understand some of the problems that our region of the country is facing with natural gas drilling. The gas companies are already drilling in Pennsylvania and have offered huge amounts of money to landowners in upstate New York; now up to $7,000/acre. Most of the large landowners have not been able to say no to the huge offers proffered by the gas companies and have signed or are still negotiating for higher royalties or more lucrative leases.
At this point horizontal drilling has not started in the Marcellus Shale in New York State, and although I don’t think it will be postponed much longer, I believe that these companies need to be slowed down and governed by strict safety requirements with huge penalties in place for any and all infractions.
Recent spills in nearby Dimock, Pennsylvania should make people think twice about the risks they are taking when they sign the dotted line on the lease.
Although the actions of the gas companies depicted in the film made me angry, reality set in when we paused the movie for a class discussion.
Gas and oil is essential to everyday living in this country. Gas company practices may be destructive and corrupt, but these companies supply a huge percentage of our energy needs. Most people want to walk into a warm, cozy house in the winter. When we get in our cars we expect to get to where we are going as fast as possible. These things require gas and oil. It is not yet practical to eliminate gas and oil companies altogether, but I believe that it is the government’s job to listen to the concerns of the people and to start developing better sources of renewable energy.
