Article: The Truth About Fracking
Author: Chris Mooney
The process of hydraulic fracturing has been around since the 1940s. In this process, " vertical wall shaft hits a layer of chemically treated water and sand are blasted down at high pressure to crack open the rock and liberate natural gas". Fracking was originally done vertically, but in recent years, the technique combined with directional, or horizontal, drilling. Horizontal drilling is the "ability to turn a downward-plodding drill bit as much as 90 degrees and continue drilling within the layer, parallel to the ground surface, for thousands of additional feet". Although horizontal drilling releases more natural gas, it is different and far worse than vertical fracking. Former DEC deputy commissioner Washington said, "'because
of the depths of the gas and the combination of fracking and directional drilling, instead of 80,000 gallons of water it is now millions of gallons per fracking operation', with the big increase in chemicals that go along with it". Two to four million gallons of water are needed for EACH lateral, for EACH well. About 15,000 to 60,000 chemicals are needed too. After fracking, 75% of what goes down comes back up, the flow-back water usually laden with chemicals, radioactive materials, and salts from the underground layers. It is found that faulty cementing is the leading suspect in possible sources of contamination.
This article was so sad. Fracking companies need to take responsibility for what they've done and owe up to the damage they've caused in so many people's lives. They can't keep pretending that they didn't have anything to do with the contamination of people's wells. It's so wrong and they need to make up for it; those people deserve it. Is natural gas even worth wasting so much freshwater and polluting our waterways? Instead of fracking for natural gas for energy and heating, maybe we should just find a cleaner and more sustainable way for electrical energy, like with solar panels and wind turbines. To prove that fracking companies are to blame for water contamination, the EPA should monitor the chemistry in drinking-water wells before and after drilling begins at new fracking sites, like the article said. That way, we can see what effect the fracking had on the water. If the well water is significantly more contaminated after drilling begins, then we can prove that the companies behind the fracking are accountable for it. In case that doesn't work, we can also pass a law that requires companies to put an easily identifiable tracker inside the proprietary fracking fluid mixture. After fracking occurs, and that fluid ends up in places where it's not supposed to, like people's drinking water wells, then we know for sure that the fracking company is guilty. We need to stop victim blaming the people affected by this issue, and instead focus on the morality and wrongdoings of fracking companies that claim they have nothing to do with the contamination of innocent people's drinking wells.
Author: Chris Mooney
- Hydraulic fracturing has been used since the 1940s
- "When vertical wall shaft hits a layer of chemically treated water and sand are blasted down at high pressure to crack open the rock and liberate natural gas"
- Directional, or horizontal, drilling- when a downward drill is turned 90 degrees and drills within the layer, parallel to ground
- U.S. has 827 trillion cubic feet of shale gas within reach
- Unlike vertical drilling, horizontal drilling requires large amounts of water and chemicals; huge ponds and lakes are needed to store chemically laden "flow-back water" that comes back up after wells have been fractured
- 2-4 million gallons of water are needed for a single lateral, as well as 15,000-60,000 gallons of chemicals
- 75% of what goes down goes back up; flow-back water is full of chemicals, radioactive materials, and salts from underground layers
- Faulty cementing is the leading suspect in possible sources of contamination
- "If you do a poor job of installing the well casing, you potentially open a pathway for the stuff to flow out"
- EPA should monitor chemistry in drinking-water wells before and after drilling begins at new sites
- Requiring companies to put an easily identifiable tracker inside their proprietary fracking fluid mixture; if it ends up where it's not supposed to, then those companies are responsible for contamination
The process of hydraulic fracturing has been around since the 1940s. In this process, " vertical wall shaft hits a layer of chemically treated water and sand are blasted down at high pressure to crack open the rock and liberate natural gas". Fracking was originally done vertically, but in recent years, the technique combined with directional, or horizontal, drilling. Horizontal drilling is the "ability to turn a downward-plodding drill bit as much as 90 degrees and continue drilling within the layer, parallel to the ground surface, for thousands of additional feet". Although horizontal drilling releases more natural gas, it is different and far worse than vertical fracking. Former DEC deputy commissioner Washington said, "'because
of the depths of the gas and the combination of fracking and directional drilling, instead of 80,000 gallons of water it is now millions of gallons per fracking operation', with the big increase in chemicals that go along with it". Two to four million gallons of water are needed for EACH lateral, for EACH well. About 15,000 to 60,000 chemicals are needed too. After fracking, 75% of what goes down comes back up, the flow-back water usually laden with chemicals, radioactive materials, and salts from the underground layers. It is found that faulty cementing is the leading suspect in possible sources of contamination.
This article was so sad. Fracking companies need to take responsibility for what they've done and owe up to the damage they've caused in so many people's lives. They can't keep pretending that they didn't have anything to do with the contamination of people's wells. It's so wrong and they need to make up for it; those people deserve it. Is natural gas even worth wasting so much freshwater and polluting our waterways? Instead of fracking for natural gas for energy and heating, maybe we should just find a cleaner and more sustainable way for electrical energy, like with solar panels and wind turbines. To prove that fracking companies are to blame for water contamination, the EPA should monitor the chemistry in drinking-water wells before and after drilling begins at new fracking sites, like the article said. That way, we can see what effect the fracking had on the water. If the well water is significantly more contaminated after drilling begins, then we can prove that the companies behind the fracking are accountable for it. In case that doesn't work, we can also pass a law that requires companies to put an easily identifiable tracker inside the proprietary fracking fluid mixture. After fracking occurs, and that fluid ends up in places where it's not supposed to, like people's drinking water wells, then we know for sure that the fracking company is guilty. We need to stop victim blaming the people affected by this issue, and instead focus on the morality and wrongdoings of fracking companies that claim they have nothing to do with the contamination of innocent people's drinking wells.