What is fracking? How controversial debate topic impacts Pennsylvania
EXTON, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES - 2019/12/23: Section of the SUNOCO Mariner II East Pipeline construction in Exton, PA. Residents and local elected officials have expressed strong opposition to the pipelines cutting through their backyards and nei
PENNSYLVANIA - Fracking sparked a heated exchange between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris during Tuesday night's presidential debate, but many voters still have questions regarding the controversial topic.
What is fracking?
Hydraulic fracturing is a drilling method used to extract oil or natural gas from locked in shale rock found deep in the planet, according to National Geographic.
"The sophisticated technologies used in fracking are rapidly expanding petroleum and natural gas production in the United States."
Fracking in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is the second-largest producer of natural gas in the country.
Widespread fracking in the battleground state continues to be a topic of debate among voters and state and federal leaders when it comes to health, energy demands and economic importance.
In 2023, a taxpayer-funded study by the University of Pittsburgh suggested links between fracking and asthma and lymphoma in children.
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro implemented new policies requiring operators to publicly disclose chemicals used in drilling and hydraulic fracturing earlier.
Harris on fracking
The vice president first called for a ban on fracking while seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential debate.
"There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking," Harris said during a CNN Town Hall.
However, when asked about her stance in a CNN interview last month, Harris said she wouldn't ban fracking.
"In 2020, I made very clear where I stand. We are in 2024, and I've not changed that position, although I've gone forward. I kept my word, and I will keep my word," she said.
Fracking becomes debate topic
Harris was pressed about her policy change on a fracking ban during her first presidential debate with Trump in Philadelphia.
"Let’s talk about fracking because we’re here in Pennsylvania. I made that very clear in 2020. I will not ban fracking. I have not banned fracking as Vice President of the United States and, in fact, I was the tie-breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act which opened new leases for fracking. My position is that we have got to invest in diverse sources of energy so we can reduce our reliance on foreign oil."
Trump then argued that the vice president still holds the same stance, and would "never" allow fracking in Pennsylvania.
"If she wins the election, fracking in Pennsylvania will end on day one," he said.
The topic came up once again during a heated exchange on gun ownership later in the debate.
"She is destroying our country," Trump said. "She has a plan to defund the police. She has a plan to confiscate everybody’s gun. She has a plan to not allow fracking in Pennsylvania or anywhere else."
Harris rebutted the former president's allegations, saying he should "stop with the continuous lying about this stuff."