Augusta County Supervisors held a meeting on a quiet February evening, then voted on an issue that took only minutes with a mere four pages of notes while a discussion of backyard chickens had five pages and twice the discussion time with concerns of negative health and neighborhood issues.
Fracking has a major negative impact on our drinking water. It is the only industry allowed to inject toxic chemicals directly into underground sources of water. Fracked water contains dangerous chemicals such as benzene and xylene. These are known agents that after studies of fracking revealed health concerns of those exposed to these chemicals in drinking water.
Augusta County has the good fortune to host natural aquifers with the karst acting as natural artesian purification producing some of the finest drinking water in the state. They also have the bad fortune to be route for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline zigzagging through the pristine farmlands.
Even through the discussion and vote for backyard chickens garnished more headlines, we hope that the leadership and good sense of this county to ban fracking will follow suit in all our counties of Virginia and fracking will be banned throughout the commonwealth.
I was impressed and pleased to witness this important moment in local government watching out for the health, welfare and future of not only their communities but downstream to all of ours waters who benefit from their action .
Letter from Angela Lynn/Albemarle
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