NC needs to be cautious on offshore drilling and fracking

The Wilmington Star News, in an editorial, said it better than we could: North Carolina needs to move very cautiously on offshore drilling. According to the editorial, according a study recently released by Duke University's Center on Global Change researchers found a correlation between fracking and methane content in well water in Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The editorial also pointed out that the drilling of a single well can produce over a million gallons of waste water containing hazardous chemicals. Also, the water used for fracking can use water supplies during a drought.

As for offshore drilling, the editorial argued that it can happen here. An accident similar to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill would blacken our beaches with crude oil. Coastal communities are concerned about the effect on tourism and fishing.