ANTRIM/EMMET COUNTIES, MI -- For 50 years, Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has been used by oil and gas companies to bust into shale formations and clear the path for harvesting oil and natural gas to surface.

But a controversial technique is new to Northern Michigan and will soon start on leased state land.

l could be the proof that shows that northern Michigan oil and gas exploration has not completely dried up."

"17 permits have been approved by the DEQ, 12 are pending," said Jennifer McKay of Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council.

Companies are digging deeper looking for pay-off oil and gas deposits.  McKay says it's called unconventional deep shale drilling.  Companies are now going after Collingwood Shale, a formation in the ground which is 7,000 to 10,000 feet deep. 

"If anything, the deeper well reduces any type of risk potentially from an environmental perspective," said Brad Wurfel, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

This site in Mancelona Township has a DEQ permit to start digging.  The company can dig 8,000 feet, line the hole, and seal it off, then, frack it.

"Carcinogens and hazardous materials and fluids that are injected into the wells," are one concern for McKay.

Right now, there are two sites in Cheboygan and Missaukee Counties using the technique.  McKay says fracking makes it easier for oil and gas to surface, but she says there's concern with what happens to the hazardous liquid when that comes back up.  If it spills, it could mean contamination.

Another Concern the Tip of Mitt wants to address is the amount of water used at the well sites.  Currently, companies use five million gallons of water during fracking.

"We’ve got the regulations I think to maintain environmental safety and we've got an industry that has done a fairly responsible job over the years in Michigan," said Wurfel.

DEQ spokesperson Brad Wurfel says the fracking materials must go into steel containers until trucked away and taken care of, which typically means put into a deep injection well.  But because of federal guidelines, the company doesn't have to disclose what's in their fracking fluid.

“We want to make sure we have the necessary precautions and rules and regulations in place prior to there being a large hit in this type of activity," said McKay.

Some Mancelona community members are concerned.  Others say drill away.

"Anything that could bring jobs can be good, be right for in here," said William Swartz, Sr., of Mancelona.

"If they take too much of it, our ground is going to sink, it's going to cause some problems, nature is going to kick back soon or later," said Mancelona resident James Meadows.

I talked to a couple of hunters, who use this site for bird hunting.  They said they worry about this site starting a trend.  How many of these could pop in this neck of the woods? 

We tried to contact Atlas Energy, the company that was issued the permit.  A Chevron employee answered the phone, saying they’ve taken over Atlas Energy, but they told me they didn’t take over this particular plot.  We never heard from the company that is developing the site.

Learn more about hydraulic fracturing and Michigan DEQ guidelines by CLICKING HERE.

Tip of the Mitt explains the fracking process HERE.