Cause And Negative Effects Of Fracking

For the past twenty to thirty years, hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, has been the number one source of natural gas, oil, and energy in the United States. The process of fracking is that a well is built above the ground and then a drill digs several thousand feet deep into the ground to extract the oil and natural gas that is trapped inside of rock formations. Fracking is very controversial because of the cost of the process and the environmental “threats” that it poses. From methane emissions to earthquakes, fracking has been accused to be linked with several environmental issues. To prevent any environmental dangers, states place regulations and boundaries that energy companies have to follow in order to build a well and keep it up and running. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) also works with states to help regulate these wells. More importantly, fracking in the United States is very important and acts as a bridge to the future. While it may be argued that hydraulic fracturing is not beneficial to the economy and harmful to the environment, fracking in the United States should not be banned because fracking is not only imperative to the growth of jobs and the economy, but it also does not put the surrounding environment in danger.

“Fracking: the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas”(Google). Ten years ago no one would have thought hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” would have caused such environmental harm; infecting public and private water systems, cutting down national parks, and causing extraneous health problems.

The mismanagement of the practice has the potential to create environmental damage such as water contamination, radioactive spills, and increased seismic activity that could cost thousands in dollars in damage. Furthermore, the unintended consequences of fracking can have detrimental effects on the environmental. The potential for water contamination can pose both an immediate and long term risk to environmental stability, including landscape distortion, inhabitability and ecological displacement. This contamination of drinking water can also be detrimental to the human environment, limiting the amount of safe water available for both the residential and commercial human environment. With the increase of fracking, the level of disapproval for the practice has only mounted. Concerns including overconsumption of

people are agents the process of drilling for the natural gases. However, …“A report in

Fracking uses a mixture of water and chemicals to release natural gas from the ground. It is sprayed at high pressure into the ground where it collects in a well. Sometimes these wells leak and the chemicals get into our water supply. Some homeowners claim that they can light their tap water on fire as it comes out of the faucet (Foster,

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a process the the oil and gas industry uses to extract natural gas and oil from shale rock formations buried deep within the Earth. Fracking is done in order to recover oil and natural gas from formations and areas that scientists didn’t think were possible to produce. It is also used for the extraction of oil and natural gas from older wells in more mature oil and natural gas fields. Many people don’t know about the many harmful effects to people and the environment because of fracking. Hydraulic fracturing is harmful to the environment and people because it contaminates drinking water, pollutes the air, and threatens the climate.

Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking) is the process of drilling into the ground and pumping sand, water, and fracking fluid at high pressures in order to extract natural shale gas that was previously unattainable. This process comes with environmental issues: the chemicals from the fracking fluid can contaminate nearby drinking water wells and harm the citizens of that area. Despite the fact that there have been several contaminated drinking water cases reported, there is little being done about this matter. This paper analyzes the available research that asserts why fracking is a dangerous process that should be banned immediately. The intended audience is my peers and instructor, as well as anyone interested in the debacle of fracking-caused water contamination that may come across this piece. As you are reading, I ask that you keep in mind that this is a very perplexing issue that has not been given much of an opportunity for true research and investigation. Therefore, the data discussed has not been officially proven or disproven to be directly related in every way to local fracking. However, the research gathered on the proposed danger of the Hydraulic Fracturing process is solely based on science that has already been proven as well as documented illnesses and symptoms from residents and contractors around or near fracking operation sites.

It’s been over 65 years since fracking first began as a method of extraction by oil and gas companies, but the government has done little to regulate the catastrophic practice. How anyone could consider injecting tens of thousands of gallons of water and chemicals deep into the ground being a good idea is beyond me. Those chemicals include chlorine, acetone, benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, and almost 600 other chemicals that fracking operations won’t even reveal to the public. These chemicals, despite denial by all major natural gas and oil companies that practice fracking, almost always end up in groundwater supplies. I’m sure you’ve seen at least one video online of someone who lives near a fracking site lighting the water coming out of their faucet on fire. Thanks to a ruling in 2005 under the Bush administration, fracking operations are exempt from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean

It has been proven that important water wells across the nation have been polluted with chemicals deriving from fracking drills. “Each well uses between two and five million gallons of locally-sourced fresh water which will be permanently contaminated by ground contaminants and toxic chemicals contained in the fracking fluid.”(cleanwateraction.org). It is impossible for us to live without fresh water. The water used in fracking destroys the environment. “The millions of gallons of water used in fracking operations not only strain water resources, but end up as vast amounts of contaminated wastewater. Fracking has been reported as a suspect in polluted drinking water around the country. And methane -- a potent climate change pollutant -- leaks rampantly throughout the extraction, processing, and distribution of oil and gas.”(nrdc.org). Besides hampering water consumption to communities, the pollution destroys all related environments, including the atmosphere, which is affected by the evaporated fumes. However, according to geologist Gary Lash of the State University of New York at Fredonia, it is not possible for the fracking fluid to seep through the rocks and into the water. That is not the case since there are multiple documented cases of

Another reason why the United States must make fracking illegal is because it can have a negative effect on water sources. During fracking, the fluid, which consists of over 596 toxic chemicals, is pumped into the ground, soon after, once all of the gas is extracted from the operation, some of that fluid stays deep underground, and becomes increasingly toxic as it comes picks up radioactivity, or other underground contaminants (White). These fluids can sink into aquifers and turn water into a noxious mix, even the water that comes back up is almost untreatable after coming in contact with these chemicals (Griswold). Although the dangers are well known, it is no surprise that water sources have already been contaminated due to inattentiveness.

The global crisis surrounding energy needs grows in severity as time goes by and in order to solve it, scientists have created the innovative solution known as hydraulic fracturing (Source 5). Hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking,” is a process that injects water, chemicals, sand, and other materials into layers of shale. The injected mixture cracks the layers of shale, releasing trapped natural gasses that can be collected (Source 1). Fracking occurs deep under the surface of the earth, miles below the groundwater that is accessed from drinking-water wells. In the mid-2000s, “fuel prices were rising rapidly” (Source 5). Hydraulic fracturing was a cheap solution that not only brought the world out of a state of emergency but made oil prices drop. The new method of gas collection grew the oil and gas industry, benefiting people all around the world. Fracking is a cheap, effective solution to global needs, but is under attack from skeptics who worry about environmental hazards. The claims against fracking not only have no real evidence but also risk destroying the jobs in the oil and gas industry as well as support for energy needs. Hydraulic fracturing is not only a cheap but a safe method that supports global needs surrounding both energy and jobs.

“Fracking chemicals damage fertility and cause birth defects. A recent study suggests of the 750 plus chemicals used in fracking, over 130 are endocrine disruptors. Once in the body, these toxins have been linked to fertility issues in men and women as well as birth defects” (Group). These chemicals can be put into the water supply, Without any knowingness of it if not frequently checked.

Fracking is becoming increasingly prevalent in today's society as a means to extract an increasingly rare resource from our environment. Despite the many arguments made in its favor by oil companies and supporters of such company’s hydraulic fracturing or fracking is harmful to people, the environment, and should be prohibited. In this paper the reasons given for fracking being beneficial are untrue. Explanations why the harm done by fracking outweighs the good will be given. There will be evidence shown for the damage hydraulic fracturing does to people and the environment.

Fracking is considered one of the most controversial methods of obtaining Earth’s natural gases. It is also known as hydraulic fracturing, which is drilling and introducing fluid (mostly water) into the ground to get certain rocks to produce natural gases. Fracking could cause devastating effects to the environment. According to the article “Hydraulic Fracturing 101” on the web-site earthworks.com, fracking can not only use up a lot of water, but it can also contaminate groundwater. Two to ten million gallons of water can be used to fracture a single well. Also the water used to fracture has many additives, such as hydrochloric acid, that can prove deadly to those who come in contact with them. In “Hydraulic Fracturing 101” it stated that

Fracking is the breaking of rocks in order to release oil gases stuck inside them. They do this by drilling down real deep and pump a mixture of water, sand and chemicals. The mixture causes rocks to crack and release oil gases and are pushed into a container. Of course there are benefits to fracking, but there are major negative effects of fracking. Mostly effects that affect our population.A primary example of negative effects is the contamination of drinking water for people (Source C). This is very bad because it affects a huge amount of the population the the United States if the water is contaminated. The contaminated water cannot be clean or purified through normal means making it nearly impossible to clean. “Water for fracking is typically