To the Editor:

Re “The Right Way to Develop Shale Gas” (Op-Ed, April 30):

The chemical contamination of air and water caused by hydraulic fracturing is no more a “data acquisition and management problem” than are the hazards posed by lead paint or cigarettes. In all cases, the problem is inherent to the technology or product.

Michael R. Bloomberg and Fred Krupp admit as much when they boast that regulatory measures could reduce methane emissions by 40 percent. But that still leaves 60 percent to escape into the air, where methane contributes both to climate change and the formation of smog, which, at any level, exacerbates asthma, harms fetal development and shortens lives.

Other data show that pollutants related to hydraulic fracturing include the carcinogens benzene and radon, for which there are no safe exposure levels.

In short, no evidence exists for the claim that regulations can adequately protect the health of families living near the gas fields. Hence, there is no way to devise “sensible rules.”