Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the earth’s surface at high pressures in order to fracture the clastic sedimentary rock or shale rock surface. Fracturing the shale rock releases the natural gas, petroleum, or water that could be trapped inside these underground natural reservoirs. The wells are drilled vertically into the earth’s surface for hundreds or thousands of feet and include horizontal or directional extensions to allow for further reach. Pipes encased with steel and cement are then inserted into the drill holes, and are used to inject a mixture of water, chemicals, and sand into the ground. This water mixture is known as fracking fluid and can contain several different
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The sheer number of wells drilled in the United States now number over one million. Huge networks of gas fields have changed landscapes, cleared forests, and fragmented habitats all over the country. With little to no regulation controlling how the oil companies conduct their business, they have effectively been free to drill as much as they can with no concern of the consequences on the environment. Concerns of water contamination due to fracking techniques, improper regulation, inefficient disposal techniques, and fracking fluid leakage has created a great cause of concern to many citizens, especially those living near fracking sites. Many people reported serious illnesses soon after drilling began, which has created a large number of lawsuits of people suing the gas companies demanding compensation. In response, research is currently being conducted to investigate these claims. The truth is that until there is more data available to provide concrete proof of the dangers fracking presents, the drilling will continue. It is such a new issue that without extensive research, …show more content…
The bill states that oil and gas companies are exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and about a dozen other environmental protection policies. Oil companies are therefore not required to report their practices or regulations to any governmental agency. This resulted in the industrial boom of unrestricted Gas drilling during the mid 2000’s. Oil companies would lease property from private or public lands and drill continuously forming vast networks of hundreds and hundreds of wells in many areas. Due to the massive scale of operations, the amount of fracking fluid used in all these sites was a matter of great concern. Known only to be extremely toxic, the specific ingredients listed in fracking fluid is considered propriety of the company and they are not required to disclose that information. Independent research, however, has identified several of these chemicals many of which are extremely corrosive, carcinogenic, and otherwise toxic to human health, capable of causing a wide range of illnesses. Therefore, the question of how this fracking fluid is used and where it goes remains a central question for many people living close to gas wells. The chief concern is whether or not it is possible that the fracking fluid will directly contaminate private water sources. There is worry that the intense pressures used to crack rock
The sheer number of wells drilled in the United States now number over one million. Huge networks of gas fields have changed landscapes, cleared forests, and fragmented habitats all over the country. With little to no regulation controlling how the oil companies conduct their business, they have effectively been free to drill as much as they can with no concern of the consequences on the environment. Concerns of water contamination due to fracking techniques, improper regulation, inefficient disposal techniques, and fracking fluid leakage has created a great cause of concern to many citizens, especially those living near fracking sites. Many people reported serious illnesses soon after drilling began, which has created a large number of lawsuits of people suing the gas companies demanding compensation. In response, research is currently being conducted to investigate these claims. The truth is that until there is more data available to provide concrete proof of the dangers fracking presents, the drilling will continue. It is such a new issue that without extensive research, …show more content…
The bill states that oil and gas companies are exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and about a dozen other environmental protection policies. Oil companies are therefore not required to report their practices or regulations to any governmental agency. This resulted in the industrial boom of unrestricted Gas drilling during the mid 2000’s. Oil companies would lease property from private or public lands and drill continuously forming vast networks of hundreds and hundreds of wells in many areas. Due to the massive scale of operations, the amount of fracking fluid used in all these sites was a matter of great concern. Known only to be extremely toxic, the specific ingredients listed in fracking fluid is considered propriety of the company and they are not required to disclose that information. Independent research, however, has identified several of these chemicals many of which are extremely corrosive, carcinogenic, and otherwise toxic to human health, capable of causing a wide range of illnesses. Therefore, the question of how this fracking fluid is used and where it goes remains a central question for many people living close to gas wells. The chief concern is whether or not it is possible that the fracking fluid will directly contaminate private water sources. There is worry that the intense pressures used to crack rock