The Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing

Fracking is a process that involves combining water with various toxic chemicals to create frack fluid. This chemical is highly toxic and can return to the surface, polluting water and destroying ecosystems and communities. This article includes various facts and statistics of fracking’s effect on the environment. The evidence of its harmful effects is laid out in an easy to read and cite format. “Fracking’s Environmental Impacts: Water” will provide supporting

Hydraulic fracturing also called fracking has been around for many years despite the recent events of controversy to continue fracturing or not. With the earth’s resources depleting rapidly every year and no sufficient replacement for energy humanity needs fracking. The process of fracking has been around for more than six decades. Fracking has been around since the 1940s and was created to increase the removal flow of oil and natural gas. In the words of chemical engineer Robert Rapier “Fracking involves pumping water, chemicals, and a proppant down an oil or gas well under high pressure to break open channels in the rock holding the oil or gas (Rapier).” A proppant can be different materials,

In fact, animals are dying due to exposure of fracking. In Louisiana, 17 cows died from an hour of direct exposure to hydraulic fracturing fluid. Plus, 60 cows had been exposed to a creek that had wastewater from fracking dumped in. 21 of those cows had died, 16 of those cows failed to produce calves, that following spring. Not to mention earthquake rates are going up. From 1967 to 2000, there was a steady rate consisting of 21 earthquakes per year. Beginning in 2001, is when shale gas and other oil companies began to gain popularity, because of this earthquake rates grew by 188 per year.Equally important, half of the nation is experiencing a water drought. Fracking uses a large amounts of water to get the oil and gas out of the ground. 72 trillion gallons of water each time to be exact. As shown above, fracturing causes major

Hydraulic fracking has been known to release ‘more than 650 chemicals”( source 3), because of this people who are living ‘near these wells fear their health may be harmed” ( source 3). Even though hydraulic fracking has not caused any known health problems there is still the threat that could come soon when more and more well build up. This could also harm the wildlife and could cause their habitat to be destroyed.

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.

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.

A professor of molecular medicine at Cornell’s college of veterinary medicine by the name of Robert Oswald and Michelle Bamberger a veterinarian interviewed animal owners in six states Colorado, New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas. The interviews turned up twenty four cases of animals possibly being harmed by fracking. It is impossible to tell if it was caused directly from fracking due to incomplete tests on how fracking is affecting these areas but signs strongly point to it being the cause. Oswald said, “We have a number of case studies -- they don't tell us about the prevalence of problems associated with hydraulic fracturing, but they do tell us how things can happen." (Cornell.edu). Some of the case studies show death of many animals such as in Louisiana seventeen cows died after about an hour after being exposed to fracking fluid. The cause of death was circulatory failures which lead to their death. Another case was of one hundred and forty cows were exposed to hydrofracking fluid and seventy died and those that lived many gave still births or had serious defects. As we see the water and chemicals that are pumped into the ground are not healthy and can lead to death or birth defects. Fracking is dangerous and definitely needs to be regulated but there are some upsides to it as

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, has become a large part of the economy in northeastern Pennsylvania, and has impacted the area’s economy, environment, and mindset. Fracking is the process of extracting natural gas from the earth, and the industry it has brought to areas like northeastern Pennsylvania shows effects consistent with the ideas of neoliberalism and hegemony.

One of the most common arguments against fracking is that fracking should be banned being that it causes harmful effects on the human body. During the process of fracking, chemicals and methane gas are leaked out of the system and contaminate nearby groundwater. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the fact that their water has been contaminated so they end up drinking it and causes them to become ill. Due to people drinking this contaminated groundwater, “There have been over 1,000 documented cases of water contamination next to areas of gas drilling as well as cases of sensory, respiratory, and neurological damage due to ingested contaminated water” (“What Goes”). Exposure of fracking chemicals to humans can also causes reproductive issues. Out of the hundreds of chemicals used in fracking, “20 to 30% cause reproductive, mutagenic, or cancerous

Following the release of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) draft report on their study of the effects of the fracking industry to ground water, the New York Times published the article titled “Fracking has not had a big effect on water supply, EPA says while noting risks.” The article conveys to the readers on the release of the study and gives opinions of the report’s findings from both sides of the fracking debate. In order to review the content of the article, the specifics presented in the article were compared to those cited in “Hydraulic fracturing: a toxicological threat for groundwater and drinking-water?” by Gordalla et al. This scientific paper had been released two years before the EPA’s report and had also assed the

Unfortunately, the extent of the environmental risks that are associated with hydraulic fracturing are largely unknown. According to a number of studies and publications GAO reviewed, fracking may pose risks to air quality. This ‘wishy washy’ finding was because the studies that were reviewed were not taking into account the long-term, cumulative effects of this extractive process (“Oil and Gas” 2012). The increase in air pollutants, the reports found, were more likely a result of engine exhaust, emissions from diesel-powered pumps, gas that was vented or flared for operational reasons, and unintentional emissions from faulty equipment or storage areas for waste (“Oil and Gas” 2012). Not surprisingly, a number of studies and publications GAO reviewed also indicated that fracking only might put our water quality at risk. Fracking can cause the contamination of surface water and groundwater as a result of erosion, spills and releases of chemicals, or the underground migration of chemicals (“Oil and Gas” 2012). So we have oversight agencies that release reports siting cases that are understudied, yet in the meantime permits are still being

In America, fracking has brought a fast development on oil and gas evolution. This development has introduced fracking closer to where people reside, which in return led to serious public health problems and affected the environment due to the extended exposure to contaminants and chemicals. New researches has also revealed the significant health impacts of fracking on humans and animals living closer to fracking operational sites. Hence, its negative effect outweighs the positive due to the associated imminent hazards on health and on the environment. Because it toxifies everything (living or non-living) in its surrounding and has a severe impact on public health, farm animals and

“DEC 's own review identified dozens of potential significant adverse impacts of (fracking)” (Krisberg 18). There are some potential impacts in the fracking process, it will bring a lot of health risks to people. The major constituents of produced water are salt content, oil and grease, various inorganic and organic chemicals, and naturally occurring radioactive material. Salt content in produced water makes the freshwater to salt levels up higher than seawater. Oil and grease makes freshwater is getting oily. Various inorganic and organic chemicals are found naturally in the formation or are chemical additives used during drilling and operation of the well, such as benzene and methane. “Many of the fracking additives are toxic, carcinogenic or mutagenic” (Howarth, Ingraffea 272). This quote tells us that why fracking is contaminating the drinking water. Benzene are one major concern. “The state of Texas reports benzene concentrations in air in the Barnett shale area that sometimes exceed acute toxicity standards” (Howarth, Ingraffea 273). It shows benzene makes drinking water is getting contaminated. “Methane contamination of drinking water reservoirs has been documented in fracking-rich areas of the US. Leading to dramatic videos of seemingly ignitable tap water” (Benusic, 238). This quote tells us that the drinking water is getting contaminated by Methane is proved already. Radioactive material in

Another problem that we know exists with hydraulic fracturing is the contamination of the water, the ground, and the air around the sites (Goldman pg. 2). It has been shown that “…residents living near the hydraulic fracturing sites are increasingly worried that the drilling process might be contaminating their well water, polluting streams, and releasing toxic gases into the air (Hobson).” Water sources, as well as the soil, are often polluted from flowback fluid and from production brine (Hydro-Fracking pg.4). Flowback fluid is “the contaminated fluid that returns to the surface during the drilling process, and is estimated to be between 9% - 35% of the fluids injected during

The prophecy of the Temple in Ezekiel 40-48 is said to be one of the most difficult portion of scripture. Many commentators have proposed varying views and approaches. It has even been reported that the Jews do not allow anyone to read it until they are 30 years of age.[footnoteRef:1]Despite this difficulty, it is a vital portion of scripture necessary to the understanding of the Messiah and the principle of salvation. Accordingly, this discussion will examine both the literal and figurative interpretations of this vision to show their strengths and weaknesses in light of the New Testament and the coming of Jesus Christ the messiah. [1: Matthew Henry, Commentary on Ezekiel 40, Accessed on April 8, 2016 www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/ezekiel/40.html]