A “Let’s Ban Fracking In Michigan” group has formed in Cass County.

Fracking, which means extracting gas and oil by exploding rock with toxic chemicals and millions of gallons of fresh water forced into wells under high pressure, has come to Michigan.

Also, Michigan is inviting other states, such as Pennsylvania, to dump their toxic, radioactive frack waste in our landfills, ponds and wells. Fracking and dumping waste into inversion wells is believe to be causing unprecedented earthquakes in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. There have had two earthquakes in Michigan recently. New York, Maryland, Vermont and Connecticut in the United States and Germany, France and Ireland have banned horizontal fracking.

“Let’s Ban Fracking in Michigan” is a petition drive to put the question of horizontal fracking on the Michigan ballot in November 2016.

Circulators are gathering signatures now. This petition does not seek to ban drilling — it bans horizontal drilling from a vertical well. Currently horizontal wells can be drilled up to five miles, taking mineral rights without permission or payment.

The petition also seeks to ban simportation of frack waste from other states into Michigan.

To find out more about fracking and the petition drive go to www.letsbanfracking.org.

Registered voters can sign the petition under the grandstand at the Cass County Fair or by calling 445-1651.