Fracking
Questions about fracking have been in the back of my mind since I noticed several articles on the internet warning of its dangers. After watching the short film “ The Fracking of Rachel Carson” my interest reached new heights and was prompted by new questions. What does the process actually entail of? Are there different types of fracking? What materials are used? What are the dangers? Who is benefiting from fracking?
Fracking comes in two forms: hydraulic fracturing and horizontal hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural well drilling. The average well is 8,000-10,000 feet deep. After a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand, and undisclosed chemicals are injected under high pressure. One to eight million gallons of water are needed for each frack. The pressure breaks or fractures shale, and creates openings in the rock allowing natural gas to flow more freely out of the well. When deep drilling stops yielding results, horizontal fracking is employed. In this method, close to 700 chemicals and millions of gallons of water are used to break up the shale. For each frack, 80-300 tons of chemicals may be used for and for each well 40,000 gallons of chemicals are needed. All of the water used in fracking is contaminated by the procedure and must be cleaned and disposed of. Each well requires 400 tanker trucks to transport the water in and out of the site.
Secrecy surrounds the materials used in fracking. Due to the Bush/Cheney Energy Bill, also known as the Halliburton Loophole, natural gas energy was ruled exempt from disclosing chemicals used in fracking, overriding the Clean Water Act of 1974. Natural gas companies have been granted carte blanche access to natural gas without any oversight from the Environmental Protection Agency. Scientists however have identified volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene as well as methanol, lead, uranium, mercury, ethylene glycol, radium, hydrochloric acid, formaldehyde.
The list of dangers related to fracking are numerous. One serious impact is ground water contamination illustrated by drinking water wells near fracking sites that can contain concentrations of methane 17 times higher than normal drinking water wells. There are at least 36 documented cases of ground water contamination due to fracking in the United States. Improper handling seems almost inevitable because there aren’t facilities equipped to deal with toxic water so the water is processed by public sewage plants that are not equipped to remove radioactive materials present in the water. Air pollution is also a concern as 3-7% of methane escapes from each well during its life into the atmosphere contributing to greenhouse gases more than coal or oil. Additionally, fracking is linked to micro earth quakes. This is examplified by the significant increase in seismic activity in Dallas area of Texas due to increased fracking.
With all of the dangers of fracking and the high financial, environment and human health costs, fracking is still a booming industry likened by supporters, as an energy gold rush. Energy corporations advocate the practice as stimulus for the economy and a way for America to become energy independent, but much of future natural gas exploits is intended to be exported, only driving up costs globally, and leaving American’s with the same energy problems of the present. In the end, the image of energy independence is a facade used by corporations to make bank.
Great post, and glad you’ve been doing some digging (pardon the pun) about fracking. It is so devastating to people who live near areas that are being of fracked. One of my closest friends grew up on a sheep farm in rural PA, and he has told me stories about how fracking not only causes environmental damage and health problems, but also how it has totally destroyed the small-town and close knit culture he experience growing up. Where is our Rachel Carson of fracking? Or our Helen Maria Viramontes?
This is all really interesting information you gathered. Fracking definitely does not seem like a plausible means for extracting natural gas and I wonder what percentage of natural gas is retrieved this way. I like how you researched the laws and bills passed regarding fracking. Its crazy how politics can be twisted so as to create loopholes for exploitation such as fracking.
I did a google search, and it was hard to find out just how much of the Natural Gas consumed in the US comes from fracking, but one source I found said around 23%. More importantly, however is the CNBC article that says ” (fracking) is a process that’s used in about 90 percent of the natural gas wells in the United States.” Coincidentally, today I saw a few clips from a film by Josh Fox on fracking, called Gasland, which highlighted the terrible amount of pollution that occurs around these fracking sites. Josh Fox also describes how most of the new fracking sites have been placed on bureau of land management lands, or PUBLIC LANDS. Unfortunately, our policy makers have decided it is fine to give over public land, to private sector. Josh Fox shows how easy it is for the average citizen to visit these fracking sites, as he just walks up with his camera and shoots whatever he wants, and no one can tell him to leave the public lands. Of course this fracking is affecting the communities, although they may be small and spread out. There could be much safer ways of obtaining Natural gas, and much safer ways to dispose of toxic water, or as the frackers call it “treated” water. Many more safety and environmental regulations NEED to be imposed if we want to continue to pursue the idea of Natural Gas as a viable energy source.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/47279955/Fracking_Technology_Brings_Promise_and_Worries
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/343202/title/The_Facts_Behind_the_Frack