Nothing can be more embarrassing for a reporter from upstate New York than not understanding the issue of hydraulic fracturing or fracking, one Albany reporter demonstrated that Wednesday on MSNBC.
With New York State’s presidential primaries finally having significance the national news outlets have descended onto the state in mass. To get a local’s perspective, MSNBC host Kate Snow sat down with WNYT reporter Asa Stackel to discuss the democratic candidates and major state issues. “[Bernie Sanders is] talking about jobs. He also talked with you about another issue that is very local but going national now, fracking. Talk to me about what's happening in upstate New York and why fracking is -- they both, Clinton and Sanders, have made it an issue,” Snow inquired.
“Yeah so, some of the few things you're hearing different in Sanders speech is this fracking. There is the Constitution Pipeline, which takes frank gas from Pennsylvania and connects it—even through Schoharie County where we are right now,” Stackel explained. “And people are angry about this, because frack gas, franking gas, is illegal in New York, yet it's coming through their back yards. Possibly in this pipeline.”
What? Stackel’s explanation of why fracking was one of the state’s biggest issues is so misleading that it’s hard to pin down what he means
First off, the term “frack gas” is not used when discussing the topic. Since it’s a term that is not used, it is unclear what he means by “frack gas,” but since he says it will be traveling from Pennsylvania through the Constitution pipeline he may mean natural gas in general. If that is the case, then he is incorrect in stating that natural gas is illegal in the state of New York.
In December of 2014, New York State banned the process of hydraulic fracturing, the pumping of water and other chemicals into very deep wells to crack rock and extract natural gas. New York has not banned the use of natural gas for heating, cooking, est.
The real controversy behind fracking concerns chemicals being pumped into the ground to crack the rock. Even though there is very little evidence, there has been a fear among opponents of fracking that the chemicals will get into the water supply and poison people. The chemicals used in fracking are not transported using the pipelines, but the pipeline would instead be used to transport the natural gas over long distances.
Using a term as vague as “frack gas” to describe to people what is “coming through their back yards,” and mischaracterizing it as something illegal in New York does nothing to bolster the national conversation about the pros and cons of fracking.
Transcript below:
MSNBC
MSNBC Live
April 13, 2016
3:30:02 – 3:31:11 PM EasternKATE SNOW: So, he's talking about jobs. He also talked with you about another issue that is very local but going national now, fracking. Talk to me about what's happening in upstate New York and why fracking is -- they both, Clinton and Sanders, have made it an issue.
ASA STACKEL: Yeah so, some of the few things you're hearing different in Sanders speech is this fracking. There is the Constitution Pipeline, which takes frank gas from Pennsylvania and connects it—even through Schoharie county where we are right now. And people are angry about this, because frack gas, franking gas, is illegal in New York, yet it's coming through their back yards. Possibly in this pipeline.
SNOW: Yeah, this is proposed right now, right?
STACKEL: Yes.
SNOW: So, there's been controversy about whether to build it. I as you say, it might build jobs for-- in the short term, but those jobs don't stick around and environmentalists are worried about the impact? Is that essentially the issue?
STACKEL: Yes, the impact, eminent domain, taking people's land to put this pipe down. All issues, and for the last year we’ve been seeing protest—just last week there was a protest outside the capitol about this.
SNOW: So when Bernie Sanders comes and says, “I'm not going to allow fracking. I’m not going to allow those pipelines” that resonates with a lot of voters.
STACKEL: Definitely. And you heard loud applause in Albany when he said that.
