Fracking is banned in Maryland, but mineral rights remain to befuddle heirs – Maryland Matters

If you watched the Harris-Trump debate in Philadelphia recently, you probably learned more about fracking and suddenly asked yourself, “Fracking in Maryland?”

The answer could be Yes and No!

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a method for extracting natural gas or oil from shale and other “tight” rock forms.

YES, between 2006 and 2017, fracking was conducted in two Maryland western counties, Garrett and Allegany, under the Marcellus Shale, the second-largest natural gas reservoir in the world.

NO, on April 4, 2017, Gov. Larry Hogan signed a bill to ban fracking in Maryland, the first state with natural gas reserves where a legislature has voted to bar the practice.

Only five states have banned fracking, including Vermont (2012), New York (2020), Maryland (2017), Washington (2019), and California (effective October 2024). The governor’s executive order issued the New York ban, which means a future governor (possibly a Republican) can reverse it.

This guest commentary is brought up to date from my 2020 commentary, “What do Biden’s Fracking Views Mean for Maryland?”

Since Joe Biden became president in 2021, no fracking has impacted Maryland.

Now, it is a race between Donald Trump (R) and Kamala Harris (D). The Republican candidate has always supported hydraulic fracturing, while the Democratic candidate has always flipped on the fracking issue.

Last week, Harris told a Pittsburgh television station, “That’s where I stand, period. As president of the United States, I will not ban fracking.”

The reason for that is simple: as of July 2, 2024, records of 220,175 drilled and proposed wells exist in Maryland’s neighboring state of Pennsylvania. The Keystone State’s natural gas sector supports around 123,000 jobs.

The top five fracking counties in Pennsylvania are:

1. McKean, with 37,275 wells, where 72.3% of its votes in the 2020 presidential race going to Trump.
2. Warren, with 21,433, and 68.9% for Trump.
3. Venango, with 19,887, and 70% for Trump.
4. Indiana, with 14,565, and 68.2% for Trump.
5. Armstrong, with 11,801, and 75.6% for Trump.

Garrett County voted 77% for Trump, while Allegany County voted 68.5% for Trump.

So, the Harris-Walz campaign team is working hard to reduce the Trump percentage in the fracking counties over the USA.

While campaigning for the seat of Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, which includes Garrett and Allegany counties, April McClain-Delaney (D) and Neil Parrott (R) have yet to mention fracking.

If your ancestors lived in Garrett or Allegany counties, you might have mineral rights, although you know nothing. Supposedly, the Maryland Democratic legislators might exempt these counties from the 2017 law banning fracking statewide. In that case, you might receive a call from a company landman who would negotiate directly with you to acquire leases for the exploration and development of minerals. So I recommend reading “He Said I Was a Fracking Heiress. I Went to West Virginia to Find Out.”

In late 2013, I received an email from my Gorrell cousin, who asked me to prepare to receive an email from a landman. At first, I did not understand what my cousin meant. After contacting the landman, I learned that all of my Gorrell first cousins and I are fracking heirs, although our Gorrell parents never told us, as well as we did not know our great-great-grandfather had bought mineral rights to two Appalachian tracts in late 1890.

A decade later, in 2024, the county where my ancestors lived ranks first among 55 West Virginia counties in gas production.

I have predicted that the Maryland legislature will do nothing if Trump gets re-elected. If Harris wins, the legislature will likely not change unless Garrett and Allegany countians need to improve their economics badly due to more extended wells and advancements in fracking techniques. Also, the legislature will entitle Marylanders who are mineral rights owners and landowners to receive royalties, which will increase Maryland’s revenue. Your vote could make a difference in this crucial decision.

As singer Taylor Swift said, “Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make.” I encourage you to Google or research “fracking in Maryland” to gain a deeper understanding of this important issue.

If the Maryland ban continues after the election, most mineral rights owners might get tired of being harassed by leasing agents for selling the mineral rights to them.