Shale gas extraction in North Carolina: research recommendations and public health implications

Authors: Down A, M Armes, RB Jackson

North Carolina has no history of large-scale commercial oil and gas extraction, and the state’s legislative framework for regulating drilling was, until recently, based on laws passed in the 1940s. However, areas of the state are likely to undergo horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas and oil in the near future. North Carolina thus has a unique opportunity to produce a legislative framework that a) incorporates experiences from other states, b) includes state-of-the-art technologies and best practices, and c) protects the health of North Carolina’s citizens and ecosystems.