An advocacy group will hold a town hall meeting this week to talk about the risks of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in southern Illinois.The process is better known as "Fracking" which consists of injecting a mixture of water, sand, and potentially toxic chemicals such as Benzene into the ground to force out natural gas. Meeting coordinator Liz Patula is with the group Southern Illinoisans Against Fracturing our Environment or SAFE. She says the meeting on Wednesday is to help raise awareness about what is going on and the current plans for hydraulic fracturing in the region. She says many farmers may not be familar with the process and with the impact the process has had on farmlands in other parts of the country as a result of the fracking process. Patula says fracking is expected to begin in June in Saline County.
The town hall meeting takes place on Wednesday at the Longbranch Coffee house in Carbondale. Meeting begins at 6pm
