Frac sand

Hydraulic fracturing increases the growth of not only jobs, but the economy as well. Ever since the start of fracking in the 1990s,

For instance, transporting the materials from the mines from place to place can lead to the roads being congested, putting a strain on the roads. Evidence of this is shown in Fractured Land when Lisa is observing a high way. She writes of various trucks involved in the fracking industry creating traffic and putting wear and tear on the roads of U.S. Highway two (55). Many of these mines are in more rural areas where roads were not made with the intention of there being as much pressure on the roads as the activity with the mines creates. This means the increased activity on the roads results in them breaking down. The same goes for these trucks as it does for the movement of vehicles shipping in materials from different nations for the fracturing to take place. More congested roads also means greater odds for accidents. This is evident when Westburg, the Fractured Land author writes of an accident that occurred along U.S. Highway 2. Multiple trucks collided until one of them crashed into a tanker trailer with crude oil. This vehicle exploded and burned for many hours, resulting in the closing down of the entire highway (Westburg 141). Because the majority of these mines are built in areas where the roads are not made to suit traffic, the roads are too narrow. This ultimately leads to a rise in tragic accidents. Also, along with more goods being mined comes more products to be shipped over seas. This would inevitably lead to more pollution. For instance, "In 2013, transportation contributed more than half of the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, and almost a quarter of the hydrocarbons emitted into our air" (Union). This is tainting both the environment and human health, as the only atmosphere the world relies on is being tainted by globalization. The trucks and planes involved in shipping the metals from place to place would mean more fossil fuel

Fracking in North Dakota alone went from 4,600 to 6,600 wells just from 2009-2012. Due to the increase in wells, natural gas extraction went from 7.5 million to 16.9 million barrels of oil (Loris 2). This increase in the oil and gas industry also provides jobs in several fields such as geology, engineering, rig working, truck driving, pipe welding, and many more, which means that the US unemployment will go down as long as this economic boom keeps up. However, fracking provides more than just jobs; it provides an economic boost to the communities where fracking occurs. States like Louisiana and Oklahoma practice fracking in more rural areas and it is seen as an economic boost more so in those places than in states like Colorado, where fracking

Wisconsin has a long tradition of being at the forefront of environmental protection. From having pristine national forests, clear water, and tough environmental regulations to keep our forests pristine and water clear. Now, in the 21st Century, Wisconsin is losing that right due to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Walker is a big proponent for a mine in the Penokee Hills. The Penokee Hills are located in Northern Wisconsin, in Iron County, just south of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe Reservation. This mine would have been an iron mine, one of the world’s largest open pit mine. The problem with this mine is it would have destroyed most of the Penokee Hills, the environment around it, and polluted everything around it, including

Hydraulic fracturing began in 1947 and still happening until now. People have used fracking to produce more than one million oil and natural gas wells since 1947. Currently "fracking accounts for 50% of locally produced natural gas and 33% of local petroleum” (Engelder 274). It proved that fracking is valuable because people can get too much natural gas and petroleum from fracking. There are 2.5 million "frac jobs" that had been performed on oil and gas wells around the world and more than one million of those are in the United Stated. Oil shale resources are abundant in United States, such as in

Some argue that, economically, the mining operation will be a net gain in money for the working class and that 75 to 80 percent of the jobs in northern Minnesota will be local [1]. However, for the project to fully go through, it requires “$200 million to $400 million in financial protections, and would overall be a financial liability for taxpayers” [2]. So despite how many jobs the project will create, it could result in a net loss of money for the people living in that area. Another problem that PolyMet thinks they have solved is the mass amount of pollution that will surface during the mining process. They say they will “use the most advanced mining procedures to extract the materials and prevent pollution during the mines 20 year life” [3]. Not only is this solution incredibly vague in its description, but many argue that “the pollution will be a problem long after the mine plays out and PolyMet is gone. The latest studies shows a possibility that the mine’s wastewater could flow north to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness” [3]. The argument that advanced procedures would be used against pollution falls short of satisfactory when their description is so ill-defined.

On March 25, 1947, the mining world in the city of Centralia, Illinois was forever changed. This was the day 111 miners lost their lives, in Centralia No. 5, due to the neglect and disregard of the safety issues that were presented to those, for five (5) years, that were supposed to protect them. The blame lies at the feet of many. A few of them

Oil has been an important resource for life, and humans have been looking for places to extract it ever since its discovery. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method of extracting oil and gases by drilling deep underground. A water based mixture, consisting of millions of gallons of water, sand, and chemicals, is injected at high pressures, fracturing rocks and allowing these oils to be collected. Fracking has been documented in several California counties, ranging from urban cities, such as Los Angeles, to rural areas in Central Valley. The underlying question is whether fracking should continue, as it provides the state and country with vital resources, but poses a great threat to the environment.

Overall, the morals of the Halakhah would not support the idea of mining fracking sand. The Halakhah wants everyone to do the right thing, and that clearly is not mining fracking sand. If we chose to mind fracking sand we would be taking away some citizens private property that they worked hard for, the mining would pollute our air and drinking water, and taxes would increase so miners could insert roads and train tracks for the miners to get to the location. These are the big reason why the halakhah would not support mining fracking sand, and to the best of my understanding this is the

Since 1742, West Virginia has provided our nation and the world with the finest coal found anywhere. As of today, West Virginia’s coal miners apply useful and effective mineral removal technology that makes other countries envy their counterparts around the world. West Virginia’s exports more coal than any other state in the country. West Virginia has more longwall mining systems than any other state. This leads the nation in underground coal productions and sets the pace for the rest of the industry in recovery and environment protection. At the same time, West Virginia coal industry displays a sense of responsibility for health, safety and environmental that is incomparable anywhere in the world. Over the years, coal has

The process of hydraulic fracturing – shooting water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure into underground wells to release natural gas – is a divisive issue: Some say it dumps chemicals into ground water supplies, others argue it causes earthquakes, and still others think it can revolutionize America’s energy industry.

Given fracking’s youth and considering its only significant sites are in the US, research is largely confined on the Marcellus region which runs across two-thirds of Pennsylvania and extends into other states (MSTEC 2011) or the Barnet region in Texas.

The United States has one of the largest deposits of shale oil, so drilling for it may seem like a logical decision “…over 750 trillion cubic feet of …shale gas and 24 billion barrels of … shale oil resources…exist in…shale plays… developing these resources creates jobs and fuels our economy… the key…is through the process of hydraulic fracturing…” (Energy Tomorrow 2013). The number of jobs created by the institution of hydraulic fracturing is widely touted by proponents of hydraulic fracturing, but the number of jobs directly created may actually be smaller than claimed. In Pennsylvania, many jobs were created from hydraulic fracturing, though most are not as a direct result from the institution of hydraulic fracturing. In the third quarter of last year, 216,946 jobs were created in Pennsylvania as a result of hydraulic fracturing…but only 30,000 of those jobs are actually from fields that are closely related to hydraulic fracturing. “It (number of jobs created) covers industries whose connection to oil and gas development is tenuous …ranging from freight trucking to highway, street, and bridge construction… agency officials …admit that the figure—when used to estimate jobs supported by shale—amounts to little more than a guess” (“Foran”). Even though hydraulic fracturing is continuing to create jobs, the number is starting to decline as a result of the success of hydraulic

The fracking industry in its entirety, although surrounded by a shroud of controversy, is an economic stimulator that many do not acknowledge. The potential replacement of coal for efficient and clean energy would not be possible if it weren’t for the utilization of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, and horizontal drilling. To consider fracking as only a danger to the environment would be an overstatement while saying fracking only provides natural gas and nothing else is an understatement. It’s important to consider all of the potential benefits that fracking gives to the economy and how its minor environmental destruction could lead to an economic reconstruction. Although fracking has a negative connotation with most people,

(Geology.com par. 1) Current mining operations are primarily located in West Central Wisconsin, but there are also facilities in Burnett, Green Lake, Outagamie and Waupaca counties. There are a total of one hundred twenty eight mines, ninety-two mines are active. The hills of Western Wisconsin contain the sand necessary to do hydraulic fracking for natural gas, which means Wisconsin rural communities have become grand central station of open-pit frac sand mining. In just five years Wisconsin frac sand facilities have gone from a few to more than a hundred. Wisconsin controls seventy five percent of the frac sand market in the entire United States.(Conservation Voters par. 3) Mary Needham and her son, Brian O’Leary, never banked on a sand mine moving next door when they bought their house in La Salle, Wisconsin. A farmhouse and barn was to the west of their house across a small wooded area. In 2013 the city of La Salle approved a zoning request for Quality Sand Products to set up a sand mine at the end of their road.(The Times par. 7) The farmhouse and barn and surrounding land were sold to U.S. Silica,