Hundreds of concerned citizens wait for the hearing to begin.

Earlier this month, hundreds of North Carolinians gathered in Cullowhee, N.C., for the fourth and final public hearing on rules drafted by the N.C. Mining and Energy Commission (MEC) to regulate hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in the state.

The afternoon started with a press conference and rally to show opposition to fracking in North Carolina. About a hundred people joined the rally to hold “No Fracking” signs and listen to a series of speakers including Appalachian Voices’ Amy Adams, the mayor of Hayesville, and Ron Gulla, a farmer who travelled from Pennsylvania to speak about his experience living with fracking.

Gulla raises cattle next to a fracking operation, and spoke with great concern about the health issues and increased death rates among his farm animals since drilling began. The farmer brought the some in the crowd to tears as he described the cancer and eventual death that fell upon his neighbor, a fellow rancher and friend named Terry Greenwood, after fracking began on his land.

Speakers Denise DerGarabedian (founder of the Coalition Against Fracking in WNC), Amy Adams, Susan Leading Fox, and Mayor Baughn stand in front of the anti-fracking crowd.

The rally concluded with Susan Leading Fox, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and multi-generational native of western North Carolina. Fox spoke about the social costs that come with the fracking industry, including increased crime rates and displacement of low-income renters. After her emotional speech, her husband sung a Native American song to a steady drum beat, and the crowd listened intently as a prayer was sent out to protect North Carolina from the fracking industry.

After the rally, hundreds filed into the basketball stadium at Western Carolina University for the official hearing. More than 600 people were present, and almost all of them there to oppose fracking.

There was a small contingent of pro-fracking individuals, about 20 out of the 600, who wore bright blue t-shirts that said “Shale Yes!” and hats with “Energy Jobs” stitched in bold letters. When questioned about their position, however, several of them admitted that they had no idea what fracking was and that they were offered a meal to take a bus trip to the hearing. Read more about the how the oil and gas industry bussed in “pro-frackers” here.

During the hearing, more than 70 concerned citizens spoke for three-minute each on the proposed rules. Every single speaker was decidedly against fracking. The comments ranged from the very technical to the very passionate and were always received with cheers from the crowd. A local woman spoke of the need for better enforcement rules and harsher fines to discourage misbehavior from fracking companies, while a man told the crowd that, to him, commenting on the proposed rules for fracking, felt like a prisoner given a choice between death by hanging, death by firing squad, or death by electrocution — he simply did not want fracking. The crowd gave him a standing ovation.

In total, more than 1,800 North Carolinians attended the four MEC hearings across the state that began last month and several hundreds gave oral comments. Thousands more are sending written comments to the MEC, which you can take a moment to do before the comment period closes on Sept. 30 by clicking here.

It’s obvious that North Carolinians overwhelmingly do not want fracking. The MEC will now have to consider all comments before finalizing the rules. So far, North Carolinians have sent a loud and clear message: if we can’t completely stop the rush to fracking, the regulations must be much stronger.