Fracking can contaminate water supplies if it is not done properly,
simple dude, prove it.
Facts About Fracking
By Marc Lallanilla - Live Science Contributor 10 February 2018
How safe is fracking?
But opponents say the industry is whitewashing fracking's real effects, a long list that includes air pollution, groundwater contamination, health problems and surface water pollution.
Recent history supports some of their claims: A fracking well in Bradford County, Pa., operated by Chesapeake Energy Corp., malfunctioned in April 2011, spewing thousands of gallons of contaminated fracking water for more than 12 hours.
And in 2012, Chesapeake was again cited for contaminating the drinking water of three families in Pennsylvania, resulting in a settlement of $1.6 million, according to NPR.org. "Many companies keep their specific 'recipes' for fracking fluids secret, arguing that this is intellectual property," Bjornerud said. "This lack of disclosure makes it difficult to tie any contamination of drinking water to a particular company or well."
Researchers from Duke University tested drinking water at 60 sites throughout Pennsylvania and New York; their research was published in 2011 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers found that drinking water near fracking wells had levels of methane that "fell squarely within a range that the U.S. Department of Interior says is dangerous and requires urgent 'hazard mitigation' action," ProPublica reports.
There may be more cases of water that has been contaminated by fracking, but legal settlements and nondisclosure agreements usually prevent access to any documentation of these incidents, The New York Times reports.
Facts About Fracking
Fundamental Analysis Sectors & Industries Analysis
What Are the Effects of Fracking on the Environment?
By
Melissa Horton
Updated May 8, 2019
Fracking and Air Quality
One of the main pollutants released in the fracking process is methane. Research indicates the U.S. oil and gas industry emits 13 million metric tons of methane annually, for a leak rate of 2.3% of all production. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), by contrast, estimates the fugitive emission rate at 1.4 percent. Methane is a major greenhouse gas. Its global warming potential is 84 times that of carbon dioxide on a 20-year horizon, and 25 times on a 100-year horizon.
In addition to fracking's global impact, there are harmful effects to those living near extraction sites. A host of ancillary components released at well sites can lead to health problems such as irritation of the eyes, nose, mouth and throat. Local air pollution can aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions. Regionally, fracking-related processes release nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, forming smog that can deprive workers and local residents of clean air.
Fracking Effects on Water Supply and Quality
On a national and state level, the fracking process uses billions of gallons of water each year. On a local level, the median volume of water consumed is 1.5 million gallons per well, according to the EPA. This consumption reduces the amount of fresh water available to nearby residents, particularity in areas where water availability is low. When water is not available to fracking sites locally, it may be transported from other regions, ultimately drawing down available water from lakes and rivers across the country.
Another major concern is water contamination, as there is risk chemicals used in the fracking process might leak back into local water supplies. In a 2015 report, the EPA documented 151 spills of hydraulic fracturing fluid. In thirteen of those cases the spill reached surface water supplies.
The byproduct of fracking's water consumption is billions of gallons of wastewater, only small portions of which are re-used in the fracking process. The majority of wastewater is injected into underground wells, and what isn't injected is transported for treatment. The EPA highlights potential leakage from wastewater storage pits, or accidental releases during transport, as risks to drinking water supplies.
you're welcome again.
What are the effects of fracking on the environment?