Hydrofracking : What Is It?

I recently saw a documentary called Gasland, which definitely caught my attention. It's about hydraulic fracking, which is a means of extracting natural gas deep in shale deposits that were previously inaccessible by conventional drilling. Horizontal fracking differs from vertical fracking in that it uses a mixture of 596 chemicals, many of them proprietary, and millions of gallons of water per frack. This water then becomes contaminated and must be cleaned and disposed of.

Gasland pointed out the destruction this process is doing to our water, land and how the 2005 Energy Bill exempted natural gas drilling from the Safe Drinking Water Act. It also exempted companies from disclosing the chemicals used during hydraulic fracturing. Essentially, the provision took the EPA off the the job. It is now commonly referred to as the Halliburton Loophole.

The increasing pace of natural gas development threatens rivers and streams that provide clean drinking water, habitat for fish and wildlife, and recreation. A company called American Rivers is working hard to protect and restore rivers and clean water. They support the natural gas industry in concert with the rest of the energy industry, to adhere to adequate and enforcable measures to protect the land, water and the people that live in these areas.

Hundreds of different types of chemicals are used in fracturing operations, many of which can cause serious health problems. After fracturing takes place, both the waste fluid that is brought back to the surface as flowback as well as the fluids that remain underground can contain toxic substances that may come from the fracturing fluids. Additionally, hydraulic fracturing can release hazardous substances that are naturally occuring into the environment, such as arsenic, mercury and radioactive materials. These substances present risks to underground sources of drinking water and need to be regulated.

Fracking takes place on private property in many places, even in backyards where children are playing. Propery owners have little or no leverage in determining where hydraulic fracturing operations may take place. In most states companies are not required to pubicly disclose the types and amounts of chemicals that are injected underground in the fracturing process. Residents and land owners have no way of know what they're being exposed to.

We've all seen the picture of a man turning on his water faucet and having a mini fire explosion in his sink. This industry needs to be regulated. Natural gas is an important product, much needed by our country, but the extraction of the gas must be done in a safe and responsible way. Please check out the enclosed map to see where fracking is taking place right now. It seems to be everywhere.