Last week on Current State, we heard from the leader of a Michigan petition effort that's aimed at banning hydraulic fracturing in the state. Fracking, as it’s called, pumps a combination of water and chemicals into underground rock where natural gas and oil are trapped. The process crushes the rock surrounding the deposits and frees them. The growth of hydraulic fracturing is credited for making the United States the world’s leading producer of oil and gas.Luann Hozma of the Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan says the practice is unsafe because the chemicals involved pollute water and threaten health. The practice also has been linked to earthquakes, mainly in Oklahoma and Texas. The group is collecting signatures in an effort to put a tracking ban before voters in November of next year.
Today we hear from an advocate of the practice. Current State talks with Jeff Cook, president of Southwestern Oil Company in Greenville, Michigan.