0
Hydraulic fracturing or "Fracking" as it is most commonly referred to, is how most of our natural gas is extracted these days.
Now some websites such as the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York will try and tell you that this process is absolutely an "environmentally responsible way to make
the most of our American energy resources, while limiting disturbanceto land." The website also will tell you that "Hydraulic fracturing is a safe, well-regulated, environmentally
sound practice that, according to the Independent PetroleumAssociation of America (IPAA), has been employed over one milliontimes without a single incidence of drinking water contamination."
However, if you do your research properly, you will clearly see that this is not the case.
Frackinginvolves mixing over 600 dangerous chemicals with water and sand and then injecting them at high speeds into the ground to 'fracture' the shale and release the natural gas. The chemicals include many such KNOWN carcinogens as Uranium, Mercury, Radium, Lead Ethylene Glycol, Methanol, Hydrochloric Acid, and Formaldehyde.
We're also not just talking a small amount of water, we're talking 70 to 140 BILLIONS OF GALLONS of water per year or anywhere from 50,000 to 10 MILLION per single fracking depending on how deep the well goes. To get the water to the sites requires anywhere between 200-400 trips in tanker trucks running on diesel fuel which poses air quality, safety, and road repair issues.
The pressure used to force this toxic mixture into our Earth causes the shale to crack which releases the gas. During this process, the toxic chemicals are also released into the groundwater. Methane levels are 17% higher in drinking water wells near fracking sites than normal wells. There have been over 1000 documented cases of contaminated drinking water in areas near fracking sites as well as cases of sensory, neurological, and respiratory damage due to ingested contaminated water.
Anywhere between 50% and 70% of the toxic chemicals are not able to be recovered and are left in the groundwater and is not biodegradable. The noxious fumes have been known to drive people inside due to the overpowering stench. The air is so saturated by these chemicals it leaves a greasy film on the windows of the houses in the surrounding areas.
The waste fluid is left to evaporate into the air releasing dangerous volatile organic compounds which in turn create contaminated air, acid rain, and ground level ozone.
There have also been studies linking hydraulic fracturing to the increase in earthquakes in recent years.
In the end, I don't think the benefits that the gas and oil lobbyists are promoting are worth the risks involved. If you need more proof, watch the documentary GasLand by Josh Fox and watch people who's drinking water is allegedly safe being lit on fire right as it comes out of the kitchen sink. They're also not allowed to use the water to shower.
The informative websites used to get my information are in the related links.
Approximately 40,000 gallons of chemicals are used in each fracking.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Where is fracking locate?
Fracking is done all over the world.
What is fracking used for?
Fracking is a way of obtaining gas from rocks underground
Can fracking cause tornadoes?
No. Fracking can cause earthquakes if the fluid gets into faults. Tornadoes are caused by thunderstorms, which are not affected by fracking in any way.
What are the controversies around fracking?
Water pollution is the major controversy that surrounds fracking.
Can fracking harm the water supply?
Yes, fracking can harm the water supply.
What type of energy is fracking?
Fracking is not energy. It is a method of getting oil out of shale underground.
Why do companies use fracking?
Fracking is a comparatively cheap method for obtaining oil and natural gas.
When did fracking start?
In the late 1940 Standard Oil began early experiments with Fracking in Oklahoma and Texas.
What is fracking machine?
what is credi
How deep do the fracking wells go?
Fracking originally started in the 1940s. There is no known distance that s for sure on how far fracking wells go. It is basically that they go down as far as they need to to get oil out of a well underground.
Why is fracking bad?
When you first hear the word fracking, you may think that it is a new curse word and a smile appears. However, fracking is scarier when you've discovered the truth. Fracking is a mining or drilling technique, commonly used in oil drilling and natural gas production. It's also called Hydrofracking and Hydraulic fracturing. Oil and gas companies first buy drilling rights from landowners. Then, they use water-based solutions to force rocks underground to open to allow oil or natural gas to be sucked out and turned into electricity or heat. Fracking puts our health and the environment's in serious risks. Fracking pollutes the water and air, and is dangerous for the workers and the animals. When landowners suspect that fracking is contaminating their water, a settlement can be made where the landowners can be given money; in return, they will need to promise to not talk to anyone about the problem. Fracking has taken place in 24 other countries outside of the U.S. Many of the areas on the Marcellus Shale, an underground rock formation running from parts of northern Kentucky and eastern Ohio through upstate New York is being planned to be the setting of Hydrofracking. There is a range of health risks that are related to fracking and the other parts of the process, such as the chemicals that are injected deep underground and the toxic compounds that rise to the surface. Fracking contaminates the water in a very obvious way. Fracking could had been done only using water and clean sand. However to make the job easier and cheaper, the process includes many other 596+ chemicals. Many were harmful and some were unknown. For example, it includes methane that is also an ingredient of cigarettes. Also, there's diesel fuel, hydrochloric acid, glycol ethers, ........, Fracking causes air pollution and release lots of greenhouse gas. When fracking is performed, the wells could explode and cause a big spill. The big spill will cause air pollution and water contamination. As we create more greenhouse gas, more heat will be trapped in our atmosphere. Due to the fact: the temperature of our whole planet will rise, the whole ecosystem will be affected.
What is the effects of fracking?
Fracking, which is the process of pumping an agent into a well under pressure, is not performed correctly there is a possibility of contamination of the ground water.
