The Eagle Ford Shale Task Force was announced and met for the first time this past week. High on the list of priorities will be setting best practices for Hydraulic Fracturing across the play. Drilling problems in other states have created a stir around the topic of fracking, which means the task force will help inform the public around the subject and alleviate any misinformation that is reported.

"For Texas, the consequences of fracking are big and getting bigger. Development of the Barnett Shale in North Texas and the Eagle Ford Shale, which covers a large swath of South Texas, has created an economic boom."

"The Center for Community and Business Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio looked at the economic impact of the Eagle Ford deposit. In a study released in February, the center estimated that by 2020 the Eagle Ford would account for close to $11.6 billion in gross state product, $21.6 billion in total economic output and support close to 68,000 full-time jobs."

Railroad Commissioner David Porter deserves praise for recognizing the promise and the peril of fracking. Having learned from problems in the Barnett Shale, Porter created a 22-member Eagle Ford Task Force of stakeholders — including environmentalists — to communicate with the public, address thorny issues such as water and develop a system of best practices.

Fracking presents Texas and the nation with a tremendous opportunity to develop domestic sources of natural gas, a relatively clean form of energy. The Eagle Ford Task Force can play a big part in turning that opportunity into a reality.

Read the full news release at MySanAntonio.com