I am a former resident of Pennsylvania and have friends and family who live in “hot bed” areas of hydraulic fracturing. I am writing to urge the citizens of Anson County to please take a few moments of time and to read some of the horror stories coming out of Pennsylvania, as well as other states.

Google “Amity, Pa.,” plus “fracking” and read these stories for yourselves. Also, go to the Pennsylvania Alliance for Clean Water and Air website and read through “The List of the Harmed,” which currently has over 200 entries but is always being updated. This list is of the known people/animals/environments harmed. I then ask you all to listen to your hearts after reading these stories and the list.

Ask yourselves: do you really want this to happen in North Carolina?

As far as fracking bringing jobs: a joke, because most gas workers are experienced gas workers brought in from other states.

Recently, I conducted an “interview” with a good friend of mine, Mary, who lives in Amity, Pa., and who lives within a half-mile of a gas well. I can provide her story to The Anson Record, as well as to any other news source. Mary gives a first-hand account of how it is to live at ground zero of fracking. Some of the highlights: gas workers being banned from local businesses because of rudeness, disruption and lack of respect for the locals; gas workers ignoring speed limits and causing lots of accidents; gas workers in jail because of illegally dumping fracking fluid (very toxic chemicals plus water); locals and animals getting sick and dying from chemicals and gas (gas fumes can affect all living things up to 5 miles radius of gas wells); gas workers littering constantly; the noise from the 24/7 gas-extraction operations that keep residents awake all night, the constant roar of frack-trucks going back and forth (it takes 10,000 truck loads of water and chemicals for one gas well).

In closing, I ask you good citizens of Anson County, will you be able to enjoy all that money you can make from leasing your land to the gas companies when you or your family, or animals, or your neighbors get sick from hydraulic fracturing? Will it be worth it?

Trish Little

Norwood