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Fracking Foes

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Fracking Foes
The Foulness of Fracking Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and wanting a glass of water, you go to the tap and instead of fresh clean water you get yellow, cloudy, oily water that smells of chemicals. Would you drink it? Those that live near natural gas hydro-fractured wells have had to ask themselves that question. Hydraulic fracturing or fracking, as it’s commonly called, is a process of extracting natural gas from deep within the earth’s surface by drilling. Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale and forces open fissures that allow natural gas to flow more freely out of the well [ (Fox) ]. As with any kind of drilling, whether it is for natural gas or oil, there are risks of contamination. Are we willing to take the risk before we fully understand the consequences? Hydro Fracturing is polluting our water ways, country sides and the air we breathe; the government must take a stand, pass legislation to make sure our environment is protected. Water, one of our most precious resources, is being destroyed. In the process of fracking, each well uses 2-8 million gallons of fresh water during the first tapping of the well and 1-7 million gallons of fresh water during subsequent drillings (Steingraber 271). The fresh water is then mixed with about 10,000 – 40,000 gallons of chemicals. Chemicals, such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, arsenic and xylene, contaminate the water and make it highly toxic to humans, animals and wildlife (Fox). Dr. Theo Colburn, a well respected, award winning Professor at the University of Florida and President of TEDX (The Endocrine Disruption Exchange) did some research and found 596 chemicals in the fracking fluids (Fox). However, as of now, gas companies do not have to disclose the chemicals used. These chemicals are seeping out of fracturing encasements and polluting precious water ways and


Cited: Adams, Jacqueline. "Fuel Fight." Earth: Natural Resources 16 april 2012: 16-17. Bamberger, M., R.E Oswald and Forthcoming. "Impacts of Gas Drilling on Human and Animal Health." The New Solutions January 2012: 51-77. Gasland. Dir. Josh Fox. Perf. Josh Fox. 2010. Harder, Amy. "Natural Gas, the Phantom Menace." National Journal (April 5, 2012). Palliser, Janna. "Fracking Fury." Science Scope (March 2012): 20. Pless, Jacquelyn. "Fracking Fracas." Energy Magazine (May 14, 2012). Steingraber, Sandra. "Raising Elijah." Steingraber, Sandra. Raising Elijah. Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press, 2011. 263-284.
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