Hydraulic Fracturing in North Carolina: How It Came to Be,and What It Means for Our State

This article details the process of legalizing hydraulic fracturing in North Carolina, which began with a request by the North Carolina Congress for a study of implementation strategies and geologic concerns from the state's environmental agencies. Steadily afterwards several pieces of legislation were introduced to create a regulatory scheme to encompass the issuing of drilling permits, regulating operations, and protecting surrounding groundwater. This article illustrates the legislative history, highlighting key components. Lastly, two recent studies regarding groundwater safety around hydraulic fracturing sites are explored in order to gain a brief understanding of the scientific consensus of the process.