Hydraulic Fracturing: A Possible Threat to the

1779 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Hydraulic fracturing literature review

Hydraulic Fracturing has been a hot debate topic among the energy industry and the environmental protection groups for quite some time. It has only recently started to be a main topic in the preservation of the environment and possible health risks because it was previously excluded from the laws such as the “safe drinking water act” of 1974 (Hines, 2012). Today, however, the process of Hydraulic Fracturing is central in the limelight of the energy industry as people are claiming that it poses a threat to the environment and to peoples’ health. Over the years, studies have supported a safety record of hydraulic fracturing that is nearly flawless and that rebuke the claims by environmentalists that it is a harmful process (Anthony, 2010). While hydraulic fracturing looks potentially hazardous on paper, the boost to the economy and the low environmental footprint it actually has make it a productive and an advantageous way to drill for natural gas.
First, Hydraulic fracturing helps give a boost to an economy because it allows access to untapped regions of wells that hold the fossil fuel, natural gas. Shale locations like the Marcellus Shale and the Fort Worth Basin hold vast quantities of natural gas and without the use of hydraulic fracturing; the natural gas within the basins would go untapped (Arthur, Bohm, & Layne 2008). One such Basin, the Barnett Shale, has been drilled with over 13,000 hydro-fracking wells which is a dramatic increase in activity supplementing the nation’s energy reserves (legal document pg. 19, 2011). For countries such as the United States who are attempting to find a relief to their energy dependence upon other countries, hydraulic fracturing will open up new doors in the domestic energy industry. The new...

... middle of paper ...

... could have caused it. The groundwater is protected by a metal casing around the well that is inspected often to make sure there are no weaknesses or spots where fracking fluid could find its way into groundwater. Also the contamination that studies are seeing can be caused by many different things ranging from household items to dumping grounds. The process of hydraulic fracturing is a safe one that and the environmental “problems” it causes pale in comparison with the effort energy companies put forward to protecting the environment from the harmful chemicals used within their wells. The large amount of rules, regulations, and inspections levied by the companies who own the wells are the reasons why studies preformed keep coming up negative for groundwater contamination and other detrimental environment impacts that conventional wells and drilling methods may have.

Show More
Related

  • Pros And Cons Of Oil Drilling

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, is a technique designed to release the gas and oil from shale rock hidden underneath earth’s surface. The term fracking itself is referring to the point at which the shale rock is broken open by a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals. Oil and gas fracking can be dangerous to the environment and also to humans. “In 2011, energy company Cuadrilla suspended test fracking operations near Blackpool, in Lancashire, after two earthquakes of 1.5 and 2.2 magnitudes hit the area. A subsequent study found it was highly probable that shale gas test drilling triggered the tremors” (BBC). Although these tremors were too small to do any damage above ground, this was still a test drill. If an oil rig were to become operational, the tremors could increase in magnitude, causing significant damage both above ground and underneath the earth’s

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Fracking

    1351 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today's global economy, energy is one of the most crucial and sought after commodities. Who supplies it and how much they supply determines how much influence they have over other countries as well as the global economy. This is why hydraulic fracturing is currently such an important and controversial topic in the United States. Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as "fracking" or hydrofracturing, is the process of using pressurized liquids to fracture rocks and release hydrocarbons such as shale gas, which burns more efficiently than coal. This booming process of energy production provides a much needed economic boost, creating jobs and providing gas energy for Americans.

    Read More

  • Does Hydraulic Fracturing Cause Seismic Activity?

    531 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United States has an immense amount of proven natural gas reserves that could become a major source for the nation's energy future (1). The mining of the natural gas resources have become feasible and cheaper due to the advancement of hydraulic fracturing technologies which have increased the amount the extraction and enabled “greater access to gas in shale formations” (2). Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking of shale formations has positive benefits that includes economic growth and the natural gas extracted is cleaner than coal and oil, however it has caused serious environmental problems and possibly could be the cause of recent seismic activity in areas where fracking operations exist (3).

    Read More

  • Marcellus Shale Fracking

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hundreds of chemicals are used during Marcellus Shale drilling; therefore, the process can cause contamination and pollution. According to Marc Levy and Mary Esch, because the Marcellus Shale drills go so far under the ground, the water there has a higher chance of being polluted. According to the article “Methane Gas and Its Removal from Wells in Pennsylvania” methane is a chemical that can contaminate drinking water because of drilling. Too much methane can be harmful to humans (Swistock and Rizzo). According to the article “Hydrofracking,” water sources also have an increased risk of being polluted when a drill is installed near them. Some of the contaminated wastewater that this process creates stays in ...

    Read More

  • Health Effects on Humans of Fracking

    1836 Words  | 4 Pages

    Current research, in the field of public health, is looking at the adverse health effects of hydraulic fracturing on community members. This research is focused on looking for evidence-based research in processes, procedures, materials and cleanup from drilling and running a well. In recent years, several states such as Maryland and New York, have called for special advisory commissions to examine the potential adverse health implications for the community if the moratoriums are lifted and fracturing is allowed to start. A lot of the previous research conducted focused on the anecdotal perspective of the adverse health effects. This perspective does not offer scientific verification that the fracturing processes are causing them or evidence where the contaminations are coming from.

    Read More

  • The Ethical Issues Regarding Hydraulic Fracturing

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ethical issues regarding hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas in the Karoo are abundant and complex. Although it is not a new procedure with new technology, South Africa and especially the Karoo is not use to this term and what it entitles. There is no reason why the shale formations should not be developed to its full potential but the crisis is balancing the development and not effecting the residence living there in a negative manner. Communities was built where water was availability, industries contaminating that supply is simply unacceptable (Potter & Rashid, 2013).

    Read More

  • Fracking: The Water Problem

    1308 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ever since the process of hydraulic fracturing—or fracking—made its entrance to the oil industry, issues and problems surrounding the process have become a common occurrence. Fracking is the controversial process of horizontal drilling (see fig. 1), where millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals are pumped deep into an oil well to extract natural gas from the earth’s crust (Ehrenberg 20). This practice has even been banned in some places (see fig. 1). The methane that comes out of the earth and the water used—called fracking fluid—has the potential to cause problems with local ground water supplies. Whether or not fracking is the cause of these problems, concern should be observed during the fracking process to reduce the chances of water contamination among residential areas.

    Read More

  • Hydraulic Fracturing: An Overview

    1595 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the past couple of years the word fracking has been prevalent in the media whether its been mentioned in the news or in the movie Matt Damon stared in titled “Promised Land”. Many people know it as a method of extracting gas from the earth and don’t inquire further into what hydraulic fracturing actually is. Before the process is explained we should understand why it has become prevalent in the last decade. The reason Hydraulic fracturing has become so popular in the last couple of years is because of the passage of the energy policy act of 2005, which contained the Halliburton loophole. The Halliburton loophole stripped the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing (New York Times 2009). Allowing Hydraulic Fracturing allowed companies to finally access the abundant sources of natural gas legally. This act made it possible to access the vast amounts of natural gas contained in the Marcellus Shale, which created a boom in hydraulic fracturing. What exactly is hydraulic fracturing? Hydraulic fracturing is a method of extracting oil and gas, that is not accessible by conventional drilling methods. The process, injects chemically treated water and sand at high pressures into shale rock to release the oil and gas (Pritchard 2013).

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Fracking

    1715 Words  | 4 Pages

    Conflicting reports make it difficult to discern just how detrimental the practice is to the environment and people. What is known is that fracking uses phenomenal amounts of water, which is becoming a scarce resource in many parts of the country. There is no doubt that the fluid used in the fracking process contains chemicals, and when released into water supplies, has negative effects on these sources. Injection of flowback materials into deep wells has been definitively linked to increased seismic activity.

    Read More

  • The Problems with Fracking

    2006 Words  | 5 Pages

    Imagine a world where fresh and clear water was a luxury. Imagine water so contaminated with chemicals that every plant it comes into contact with dies. As the trees begin to die, oxygen levels drop. As the vegetation dies, wildlife begins to die out. The polluted water which flows through the ground into wells causes instant contamination. As the water flows out of the sink, one can strike a match and light the liquid on fire. Showering in these chemicals is out of the question. Fresh water has become a comfort, rather than a given. Could planet Earth survive this existence? If hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as fracking, were deemed legal, this question may be put to the test. Fracking is a process in which chemicals, sand and water are used in “high volumes… to fracture gas-bearing layers of rock” (Dolesh 2). As the rock breaks, natural gas is released and then collected to be used as energy. The United States is currently sitting on a gold mine of natural gas which could stimulate our ever declining economy. The question is what price are we willing to pay for a temporary fix? Fracking is a dangerous process that should be deemed illegal due to its harmful short and long-term environmental effects.

    Read More

  • Essay On Fracking

    1982 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the past three decades, energy has been a perennial issue in United States politics, economics, and media. The main concern surrounding this topic is the idea of energy independence and how the United States should proceed into the future. Energy independence relates to the goal of reducing United States dependence on importing foreign oil and other foreign energy sources. This desire aims to maintain energy dependence domestically so the United States can avoid reliance on any unstable countries and be detached from global energy supply distribution. It is currently being speculated that the United States might not be too far off from this goal. America’s dependence on foreign oil has gone down every single year since 2007. In 2010, the U.S. imported less than 50 percent of the oil the country consumed -- the first time that’s happened in 13 years -- and the trend continued in 2011 (Zhang.) Experts credit new technology as the reason the United States is within several years of again becoming the biggest oil producer in the world, and perhaps two decades away from full energy independence. Hydraulic fracturing, fracking, is the “lead” technology in this technological revolution. Fracking is an economically more feasible way of drilling for oil or gas in harder to reach geological formation. Within the past decade or so, combining hydraulic fracturing with horizontal drilling has opened up shale deposits across the country. It has brought large-scale natural gas drilling to new regions that may not have had accessible deposits in the past. These areas have greatly benefited from the addition of this industry to their local economies. Certain are...

    Read More

  • Fracking : The Dangers Of Fracking

    1333 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fracking is quickly becoming a debatable topic in our society today. The practice involves injecting fluid into the ground to fracture rock in order to release natural gas. It sounds like it would be a safe way to harness fuels in the earth’s surface, but it actually is a danger to our environment. Because of the dangers of fracking, what little fresh water remains on earth is being contaminated. It is also releasing toxins into the airs creating contaminated air and acid rain. Because of the many health and environmental dangers of fracking, it should be stopped immediately to help prevent more worldwide health issues down the road.

    Read More

  • The Politics of Natural Gas Production

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 2010, roughly 25 percent of the nation’s energy came from natural gas, a “fossil fuel” which American consumers and businesses heavily depend on for transport, light, and heat (Squire 6). As the U.S. population increases, so do the country’s energy needs. Political debate over how the U.S. can meet those needs has slowly simmered for several decades, escalating exponentially when the energy supply grows short. Disputes over just how clean natural gas is, as opposed to coal, dominate headlines and presidential campaigns alike. During the presidency of George W. Bush, a bill exempting oil and gas companies from federal environmental restrictions was passed, thus paving the way for natural gas companies to expand production across the nation utilizing a new drilling technology, enabling easier extraction of shale gas. The drilling process of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” has become synonymous with controversy. Why? Fracking involves injecting dangerously toxic chemicals, mixed with large quantities of water and sand, into wells at extremely high pressure, to release natural gas. Promoted by the natural gas industry as a cleaner, safer alternative to coal, the process of fracking has made shale gas plentiful, which sounds to some Americans as the best answer to their energy prayers. However, the negative consequences associated with the extraction of natural gas through fracking, including environmental hazards and threats to public health, far outweigh the benefits.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Fracking

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fracking has become a highly controversial and publicized topic due to rising concerns and growing analysis into the mutual benefits of hydraulic fracturing to retrieve natural gas and oil reserves. With concerns of water pollution, mismanagement of toxic waste and irreversible

    Read More

  • Hydraulic Fracturing Research Paper

    1764 Words  | 4 Pages

    Numerous reports have been given on the dangerous affects of hydraulic fracturing. One such affect that has been noticed is that drinking water wells near the fracturing sites have been contaminated. During the hydro-fracking process, injected fluids that help to break and keep open the rock bed where the natural gas is kept, have “been known to travel three thousand feet from the well (Goldman).” This fluid could have the potential to enter and contaminate any water well for homes around hydraulic fracturing sites. This incident is one of the major problems that people want to figure out and know about before they allow a fracturing site by them. It has been the most feared outcome of having a fracking site nearby, and it is highly appropriate. One site in Wyoming had this happen, “…in August, EPA reported that eleven of thirty-nine drinking-water wells near a Wyoming hydraulic fracturing operation were contaminated with chemicals used in the fracturing process (Hobson EPA).” In Pennsylvania, another such case occurred, “There have already been severe pollution cases in Pennsylvania, mo...

    Read More

More about Hydraulic Fracturing: A Possible Threat to the

Open Document