Hydrofracking

Hydrofracking is an issue that I've been wanting to write about for some time. Each week there are dozens of articles talking about this issue, especially in New York and Pennsylvania since these two states sit above the Marcellus Shale formation and also house a large population. For those of you who are not familiar with high-volume hydraulic fracturing (aka hydrofracking or fracking), it is the process by which millions of gallons of water, chemicals, and sand are injected at a very high pressure to break apart underground shale to release natural gas. Fracking has been going on for several decades but has been plastered in the news most recently since the amount of wells have nearly doubled in the past decade, drilling is occurring in more populated areas, and there have been some disastrous consequences.

Historically, fracking wells have been drilled in rural areas, primarily in western states. Gas companies offer large sums of money to lease land from private landowners for the right to drill the fracking wells. In the past, most landowners said yes due to the large sum of money and to the claim that fracking is safe and won't have any detrimental effects on their land, livelihoods, or health. Today, most landowners are saying no. In fact, New York State has had a moratorium on fracking since 2008 and is still in a contentious debate over whether to lift the moratorium or to ban fracking completely. Here is why.

The wastewater from fracking is highly toxic and radioactive, called "produced water" by the industry, that is dangerous, difficult to dispose of, and can't be treated with the wastewater treatment technologies we currently have. The injection of toxic chemicals into the ground contaminates aquifers and drinking water supplies. These chemicals can remain lawfully undisclosed. If they were completely safe, wouldn't the gas companies want to disclose them to prove just that, especially due to the current media attention? Not only can toxic and radioactive chemicals leak into drinking water, but natural gas can seep into aquifers once the shale is broken up. There is documentation of homes and wells exploding due to gas seeping into the water--and video of people turning on their kitchen sink and lighting the water coming directly out of the tap on fire! But time and time again, the gas companies deny that fracking contaminates aquifers and/or drinking water.

Now that the gas companies want to drill in the highly populated Northeastern U.S. that sits over the coveted Marcellus Shale formation, they are facing staunch opposition. The impacts on human health and the environment have not been fully evaluated and there is no oversight or regulations in place to ensure that it's safe...even though the gas companies claim it is. Fracking is not regulated under the Clean Water Act because it deals with ground water (the CWA only regulates surface water). The most frustrating part is that the gas companies hide behind their proprietary rights to keep the ingredients in the slurry undisclosed since it's considered their "trade secret." Moreover, the contamination from fracking is non-point source pollution, therefore, the gas companies can't legally be blamed since the source of the contamination can't be proven to directly come from fracking. But if you ask people who leased their land to the gas companies, they will tell you otherwise. Their drinking water and health have been compromised. Immediately after fracking occurred in the wells near their home, their water smelled, became discolored, and would catch on fire. Soon after that, they began suffering a multitude of health problems. And this isn't an isolated incident, we're talking hundreds of cases. That's proof enough for me.

If you haven't seen the documentary Gasland yet, you should. You get a firsthand account of what people have gone through and the how fracking has destroyed their drinking water and their health. It shows you that the government and the gas companies claim no responsibility to the contamination of their drinking water. These people live in rural areas and their only choice for drinking water is to drill a well. A lot of those people have been forced to buy bottled water because their wells are contaminated. There have been people that have developed serious medical conditions, even cancer, from drinking the poisoned water. They have no choice and are told no apologies. They have to fight long battles to possibly receive little compensation, often resulting in short-term bandages put over their gushing wound: The gas companies might deliver drinking water or loan a reverse osmosis water treatment tank but often for a short period of time. Furthermore, the air quality around the wells is greatly diminished due to the operation of the wells. So both the air you breathe and the water you drink become toxic...does this sound like something you want to sign up for? Think about the health costs to you and your family. What is the price tag on your life and the lives of your loved ones? Is it really worth it?

This whole debate has the ring of "economy vs. the environment." The gas companies and proponents of fracking say that opponents are just environmentalists standing in the way of economic recovery, but it's more than that. It's a public health issue, too. We're talking about our drinking water, our lives. The truth is that fracking does not come without consequences. People in the rural western U.S. who leased their land to the gas companies a couple of decades ago weren't aware of the health risks and contamination of their drinking water that is a direct result of fracking. Today is different. People are now more aware of the process and are aware that it's not safe. I know the large sum of money being offered to landowners by the gas companies is very enticing and even necessary for some people during this difficult economic time. But what about your health? What about your family? What about your neighbors? Their water supply and health are compromised as well, without them even knowing or worse yet, without them even having a choice. Do you want that burden on your shoulders?