Protesters have condemned a proposal to allow a US university to "frack" on state-owned land. Source: AAP
A US university wants to allow "fracking" on a state-owned tract of rolling woodland and plans to use the revenue to fund research into the environmental impact of such drilling.
Environmentalists have condemned the proposal as a conflict of interest.
The unique plan is being considered as the debate on hydraulic fracturing continues across the country.
Energy companies use the procedure to remove gas or oil from rock formations by forcing liquids underground at high pressure.
Many universities say they lack the money to properly study its environmental implications.
Gwen Parker, a Nashville-based staff lawyer for the Southern Environmental Law Center, said her group is taking a lead in trying to block the move.
She called the University of Tennessee's proposal a "fundamental conflict of interest".
"We have not been able to find any instances of a university drilling on their land and funding their research with revenues from the drilling activities," Parker said.
Without an appraisal, it was unclear how much revenue such drilling could yield, though some said it could be in the range of millions of dollars annually.
The university wants state permission to allow an outside company to drill on about 3240 hectares of mature woodlands it maintains as an outdoor laboratory in the Cumberland Plateau - all while performing research on the effects on water quality, air quality and ground impacts.
University officials argue that because the property is state-owned, they can maintain control over the drilling project and provide independent scientific results in an area of the industry where many environmental questions remain.
On Friday, the university presented its proposal to a subcommittee of the State Building Commission, which voted unanimously to allow the university to seek bids from companies.
"Our intention is science-based investigation," said Larry Arrington, chancellor of the UT Institute of Agriculture.
"We will move forward in a transparent manner, in which we will seek to engage and receive input from all interested parties."
Before the meeting, about 50 people against fracking held a rally across the street from the state Capitol.
"We should not be allowing fracking in the state of Tennessee until we are absolutely certain that we have regulations ... in place that are going to guarantee the protection of water quality," said Scott Banbury, one of the organisers.
Environmentalists also argue that preservation of the forest tract in question is critical because it is one of the few mature forests still intact in the state's Cumberland Mountains region.
Governor Bill Haslam is supportive of the university's proposal.
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