We believe it is time for a timeout on natural gas drilling in Maryland.

We have heard about the trouble natural gas drilling has caused in Pennsylvania. Towns whose water has become polluted with methane and flammable. Companies who have dumped toxic wastewater directly into streams. Families who have sold or leased their lands for far less than they're worth. Regulators without the resources to keep up with the surge of new drilling.

That's not what we want for Maryland.

We're farmers, fisherman, hunters, homeowners, and advocates. We know how precious our land and our water are. The safety of our homes and our livelihoods is priority number one.

That's why we endorse a moratorium on natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale of western Maryland until we can determine whether drilling can be done safely. If so, we must then figure out how to minimize the risks drilling pose to our communities before projects move forward.

Natural gas has been in the shale underneath Garrett, Allegany and Washington Counties for millions of years. We can afford to take a couple of years to get this right.

It is time for a timeout!