Think Before You Frack

One of the largest sources of natural gas in the United States can be found in the Marcellus Shale, which covers about 104,000 square miles of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and upstate New York. Since 2008, hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) has been a method to retrieve and capture this natural gas for our energy consumption and has been greatly disputed.

Hydrofracking is a method that allows natural gas producers to retrieve natural gas from dense shale formations through a drilling process. The drilling process involves drilling down deep into the earth and then horizontally about 8,000 feet on both sides. Once the drilling has been completed, millions of gallons of water, sand, and a mixture of chemical additives are pumped into the shale under extremely high pressure to fracture the rock and release the natural gas. Due to the water and chemicals that are used in this process, there is a high possibility of environmental damage. While the chemical additives help this process, it is unknown as to what chemicals are being used due to the Environmental Protection Agency declaring in 2005 that hydrofracking companies do not need to disclose this information. The majority of the water, sand, and chemicals make it back to the surface once this process has been completed and the treatment and disposal of this contaminated waste produces a major challenge.

Some say that hydrofracking is necessary for our nation. Retrieving natural gas from shale deep underground will provide us with a cleaner fossil fuel than burning coal or oil. This method of obtaining natural gas would also be able to be performed domestically which ultimately is seen to boost our economy and would provide more job opportunities.

Although there are some pros of hydrofracting, there are also some cons. The hydrofracking method that involves using water and chemicals to retrieve the natural gas has the ability to hit water sources and contaminate our water. Poorly constructed tubes that carries pipes down into the shale have allowed methane to leak and contaminate wells. While some people consider natural gas from hydrofracking is a clean source of fuel, it is still releasing methane into our atmosphere.  Additionally, the disposal of the waste has either been stored improperly, dumped into municipal sewer systems that are not able to process this waste, or dumped into local streams.

Prior to moving from Boston, MA I lived in Albany, NY and while Albany I was unaware of what was going on around me. I feel as if this issue is underreported in our society today.  “Sound science must inform New York State’s rules governing the controversial and polluting practice of hydraulic fracturing gas drilling. Hydraulic fracturing, or hydro-fracking, is under-regulated and poses serious threats to New York State’s water, air, land, and people.”

Works Cited

" Global Pollution and Prevention News:  Hydrofracking resulting in radioactive contaminants in wastewater." Environmental News Network -- Know Your Environment. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2013. <http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/46493>.

"About Hydrofracking | Think Before You Frack." Think Before You Frack | "Think Before You Act" is what they tell us adolescents, so we say Think Before You Frack. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2013. <http://www.thinkbeforeyoufrack.org/about-hydrofracking/>.

"Hydro-Fracking - Citizens Campaign for the Environment." Citizens Campaign for the Environment - New York and Connecticut Environmental Protection Preservation and Advocacy. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2013. <http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/hydro-fracking.asp#frack>.

"Hydrofracking Safe, Says N.Y. Health Dept. Analysis - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/03/nyregion/hydrofracking-safe-says-ny-health-dept-analysis.html?_r=1&>.