July 4th, 2014 by WCBC Radio

Under the original schedule, the commission examining hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in Maryland was to be completed August 1^st- but that deadline no longer is on the table. The  study to determine if — and how — the natural gas extraction practice can be done safely in the state has taken commission members much longer than anticipated- and have stated that it can’t be completed adequately by time frame.  The commission, called the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative Advisory Commission, was created by Gov. Martin O’Malley in 2011 to help lawmakers and regulators determine how extracting gas from the Marcellus gas basin in Western Maryland could be safely done. The commission is working with the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Department of Natural Resources, and has met 30 times since 2011. Delegate Heather Mizeur, D-Takoma Park, a member of the commission and a recent candidate for governor, tells WCBC News that she rejects the approach of “fracking first and asking questions later”. ..