George Mitchell, 94, dies: Oil man unlocked fracking

George Mitchell, 2009 photo










Most drillers sniffed and walked away.



































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Interesting story and comments. My fracking problem is of a different nature. I've survived fracking bullying by a NE Montana group that includes own siblings who hi-jacked parents oil almost 50 years ago. Am alone at the end and about to be pushed over the cliff. Anyone have suggestions for survival? WA state resident 46 years. 360 485 2200


It's true that fracking is controversial, has caused some environmental damage, may have caused earthquakes, etc. etc. But that's not news; I'd bet that almost everyone who listens to Marketplace is already acquainted with those issues.

The point of this story is a rare interview with a hard-driving entrepreneur about his quest for a difficult goal. That's the "news" here. (If the story had one sentence acknowledging the risks of fracking, would you all have posted those comments? Or would it take two sentences? Two paragraphs? Ten minutes?)

Arguing that APM is a tool of the petroleum industry -- based on the fact that they didn't mention environmental effects of Mr. Mitchell's discovery -- seems pretty farfetched to me.

I guess the story of how fracking was developed was interesting BUT I bet it will come back to bite us big time in the @$$ with contaminated water but by then it will be too late

awesome story Marketplace! a very big and important story. esp when you tied it in to the very nature and foundation of what being human is, to improve by trial and error

yah, curious how you, a liberal media, did not give the environmental angle but then you did not play up natural gas's distraction from green energy either or, i'll just stop whining now

good job, where do i send my financial support for public radio?

The only adverse effect of fracking that I heard mentioned (and I was driving at the time, so my attention may have been elsewhere) was the danger to drinking water. True, some residents near fracking-sites have been able to set afire the water from their taps. But it's not "just" that -- fracking takes inordinate amounts of water, thus shrinking the supply for household and agricultural use. And the heavy trucks that traverse local roads to get to the frack-sites are destroying local infrastructure and adding noise and dust to formerly more peaceful and clean environments.

The Marketplace Sustainability desk? Fracking is at least as dirty as coal. We are turning our country into an industrial wasteland for short-term oil industry profits. And Marketplace has sold out to Big Oil.

What the Frack? I guess Marketplace was too busy portraying George Mitchell as a "maverick innovator" to conduct any kind of critical inquiry into the environmental and health consequences of fracking. THIS for the "sustainability" desk ,no less. Yet another example of how "independent", "public" radio has been hijacked by corporate multi-nationals APM= "American Petroleum Radio"

I was very disturbed that the only "opposing view" presented in this story was the comment, "That's going to prolong our dependence on the fossil fuel industry." Why did Marketplace not include such important facts as those presented in the NPR Special Series, "The Fracking Boom: Missing Answers" which can be located here:

Was this broadcast intended to be a homage to "The oil man who figured out fracking," or to the fracking process, itself? Why not point out how the so-called studies defending the safety of fracking have now been rejected, "Positive Fracking Study Was Funded By Gas Company."

I have trusted NPR to provide its listeners with all the facts needed to be an informed consumer. Should I be concerned about what "Marketplace" decides to present?


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