As natural gas drilling generates headlines across the Southern Tier and New York State, a Pipe Dream survey found that Binghamton University students are deeply divided on the issue.
Of the 94 students surveyed, 40 percent were in favor of natural gas drilling in general, and the other 60 percent were not in favor. The number in favor dropped to 30 percent when students were asked whether they would favor drilling in the Binghamton area.
Students were surveyed on hydraulic fracturing, a method of drilling for natural gas that involves injecting a pressurized mixture of water and chemicals into underground layers of rock to release natural gas. Students were asked if they knew about the process, and they were surveyed about their perception of natural gas drilling in general.
Hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’ for short, has been the focus of heated debate in recent weeks.
The Environmental Protection Agency held two days of forums last week in Downtown Binghamton. The forums were held to gauge public opinion on the scope of the study, but many of the speakers used the opportunity to express their opinions on the ethics of drilling itself.
According to the survey, 23 percent of students were aware that the EPA was holding the forums, but just three percent of BU students attended any of the forums.
Only 30 percent of students surveyed knew what fracking was at all.
Eleven percent of students said they perceived natural gas drilling as ‘somewhat safe for the environment,’ while 59 percent of students perceived drilling as hazardous to the environment and 30 percent were unsure whether drilling is safe or hazardous.
In total, 77 percent of students said they would favor a moratorium on natural gas drilling until further studies are conducted.
The New York State Senate approved a measure that would temporarily ban horizontally-drilled hydraulic fracturing wells until May 2011. The measure is still being debated in the State Assembly.
Cesar Alcaide, an undeclared freshman, was somewhat skeptical of fracking. Alcaide was not in favor of drilling for natural gas and would support a moratorium on natural gas drilling in New York.
‘If they’re doing it for economical reasons, then they’re doing it for the wrong reasons,’ Alcaide said.
Seonghek Kang, a sophomore majoring in history, had a different opinion. Kang was in favor of drilling for gas in the Binghamton area, but was not in support of a drilling moratorium.
‘People need jobs,’ Kang said.
Of the students who knew of the process, 32 percent were in favor of natural gas drilling in general, while 68 percent were not in favor. Of those who knew about fracking, 32 percent also supported natural gas drilling in the Binghamton area.
The dispersion was larger for students who did not know of the process ‘ 43 percent of that group was in favor of drilling in general, but just 32 percent of those who knew nothing of the process were not in favor of drilling in the Binghamton area.