Fracking Effects

The Effects of Fracking
What is Fracking? Fracking, also referred to as fracturing or drilling, is the process of drilling 5,000 to 20,000 feet into the earth and applying hydraulic pressure to the surrounding area until it cracks. The target area for oil and gas drilling companies is in the shale, a soft layer of sedimentary rock broken apart by using a mixture of 98% water and 2% chemicals. These chemicals range from household cleansers to toxic chemicals, and is added to nearly 4 million gallons of water per drilling well. By using this mixture and pressure the shale is cracked releasing gas and oil reserves trapped inside. Fracking has been proven to cause earthquakes, producing a high of 4 on the Richter scale, toxic water supply, and
environmental death. Fracking is an environmentally hazardous and wasteful way of extracting natural gas and oil from the Earth ("What is Fracking, nd").
The Effect on Surrounding Communities
The process of fracking does not seem to be very dangerous, because most people think the chemicals would be pumped into the ground and automatically be disposed of. However, that is not true. In almost all cases fracking water leads to the pollution of surrounding areas. There have been hundreds of wells affected in Pennsylvania due to fracturing fluids seeping into areas of fresh water. One case in Montrose, Pennsylvania has been positively tested to be directly related to fracturing operations in the area. The victim’s well water became contaminated by this mixture of water and chemicals, and her granddaughter Madison began suffering from nausea. Madison’s illness later led to vomiting as a regular morning occurrence. The problems did however fade away as the family started drinking bottled and other forms of purified water instead of their own ground water. Not every fracking well may contaminate the fresh water supply, however, when the company does not plan on the possible effects of their fluid, on nearby rivers, lakes, run off streams in mountainous areas, or aquifers and wells, their chemicals can easily contaminate one area of fresh water that supplies all of the surrounding areas with water as well ("Colorado Fracking, 2011").
Water Usage
As of 2014 the number of oil and gas fracturing wells in the United States exceeded 1.1 million, with the usage of three to five million gallons of water per well life. From this information the number of gallons of newly contaminated water can be found at over 5,000,000,000,000 gallons of wasted fresh water. States such as California, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, and Pennsylvania are home to the most abundant fracking operations. These states, however, also have one other thing in common; they are all experiencing or experienced a severe drought during the height of fracking operations ("Fracking Kills Trees, 2011").
Effect on Forests
Fracturing plants, like many other methods of oil drilling, need to be assembled in the location of oil rich shale.
Therefore, pollution by noise, water, and material will occur in the forest. All three of these pollutants will affect animals as well as humans and land. In order to drill, an area will first need to be clear cut for at least the size of the plant, therefore contributing to deforestation. Also, towns are not located in national forests, so unnatural roads must be made and traveled daily thus creating wear in the land. Tests performed by the Forest Service result in the death of over one half of the vegetation, two years after 75,000 gallons of hydraulic fracking fluid was sprayed across nearly an acre of land. Some people suggested that if the area sprayed was increased, then the damage done would be substantially less. The reasoning is that 75,000 gallons would have been spread lighter, however that is merely 1/50 the amount of fluid that could become hazardous from just a single well. Therefore, the affected area, holding the same ratio of the test, would be up to 50 acres of land, killing just over half the vegetation ("Protect Our Parks,
nd").
Seismic Activity Due to Fracking Seismic activity occurs when fracking wells are drilled too close to faults, causing a disruption between the two planes. Walter Green from Mahoney County, Ohio states that he was happy to sell his land to a fracking company; however, soon after he did earthquake rates noticeably spiked. The earthquakes caused by fracking are not equivalent in size to a natural earthquake, yet they happen more frequently. Drilling too close to a fault line relieves the tension making it easier for the two to separate. Current technology is advanced to a point that most of the fault lines in the United States are mapped, but fracking companies cannot control the length or impact these cracks make in the settling of the planet Earth ("Fracking Green Light, nd").
Conclusion
Fracking is a process of drilling deep into the ground and applying water pressure in such a great amount that it breaks apart the shale, releasing oil and natural gas.
The debate and issues circling fracking is the use and management of toxic waste water. Accumulating to nearly 4 million gallons per drilling well, and what is left when they are finished? A toxic waste harmful to animals, humans, and the environment. Steps are currently being taken to reduce the waste effect such as; reusing it, leaving it in open air pits, or by drilling and storing it deep into the ground. While fracking companies say it is safe, most anti-fracking corporations see it is putting the waste back into the environment, as well as wasting water in an already severe drought. Due to fracking’s unsafe and wasteful water methods, it should not be allowed in community areas or in areas of vast wildlife and environment ("What is Fracking,
nd").