Hydraulic fracturing is a drilling process that blasts large amounts of water deep into the earth to fracture dense shale and allow natural gas to escape. Some of the water used in this process which is in the hundreds of thousands of gallons becomes contaminated with toxic and often potentially carcinogenic materials.
Most states where fracking is allowed require the contaminated liquid to be disposed of in deep injection wells. But in some states, primarily PA, the liquid is routinely partially treated and then dumped into rivers and streams.
Fracking was one of those under the radar type activities that didn’t draw much attention unless you live in close proximity to the sites. But it has been in the news lately and a few choice articles caught my attention.
Lots of folks are getting rich off of releasing the huge gas reserves underground, especially since natural gas is in high demand due to the increasing cost of oil products. While the process of fracking and capturing natural gas has it’s advocates, there are some disturbing aspects of the practice coming to light.
A Democratic study of the contaminated water produced is raising the alarm over how sound a practice it really is. There have been incidents of spills, contaminated drinking water and the EPA is finally pushing PA officials to test the water being released into waterways after treatment.
Fracking has also served to divide communities and pit neighbor against neighbor. Land owners getting rich off selling the gas rights on their property are being subjected to acrimonious acts of others in their community. While the land owners defend their right to sell the gas on their property, others argue that the potential for toxic spills and environmental damage, not to mention the increase in noise and traffic related to the gas production will affect their living standards and drive down real estate values.
And while there is no definitive answers yet, there are studies suggesting that deep injection wells may trigger seismic activity especially in earthquake prone areas.
Without government regulation and oversight and further studies of fracking and all related activities, the impact on our environment and the people living in gas rich areas could end up being devastating.
The assertions are that it's quite safe, but then so are the assertions about deep water drilling and nuclear power and I'm remembering the sincerity with which the tobacco folks told us cigarettes were not only safe, but a boost to your health.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's relatively safe, most of the time, but I'm also sure that any regulations designed to keep it that way will be written by the frackin' energy companies themselves so as to minimize costs and maximize profits and this will be defended by Republicans and their pet geese. All opposed will be sneered at as tree hugging liberals who want to kill jobs. Meanwhile don't smoke in the toilet.
By the way, someone at another blog ridiculed me for suggesting that there might be a problem with radiation leaks in Japan. Stupid, hysterical, liberal me. I wish I could find him to assure him that he was right and the plants were bulletproof, but somehow I can't.
There seems to be a resurgence of that old argument surrounding property ownership: Rights versus responsibility. In suburban communities, the responsibility side of the argument is clearly understood. Its called zoning, a body of rules and ordinances that state: “Home ownership does not confer an unlimited right to do whatever you damn please with your property.” You cannot, for instance, turn your front lawn into a garbage dump, or a scrap heap of junk cars and old tires, or play with your toy box on the front veranda. You cannot open a porn shop or a strip joint near a church or school. Yet, in rural communities with large open tracks of land, the balance between rights and responsibilities are not as clearly understood.
ReplyDeletePerhaps there are more powerful forces at work – the energy corporation with oodles of money and legions of lawyers and PR people – that can undo virtually overnight the traditional values that once bound communities together. It is a subset of an even older argument still being fought since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution – the rights of people to clean air and water when pollution escapes the confines of the property and impacts surrounding communities.
Pollution is a modern weapon of mass-destruction, and the brass-knuckled politicians on the payroll of cloak-and-dagger industrialists growing fat on greedy consumerism and rat race commercialization will inevitably engender neighbor-against-neighbor enmity. Here is yet another sign of our times: All these conspire to further degrade humanity.
If this house were next door or down the block, you might be inclined to call code enforcement. Well, look at the bright side. At least it won't set your sink on fire or incinerate your toy box after you flush the toilet.
ReplyDeleteFrackin' A -- that's a cool house.
ReplyDeleteNew report on fracking just released: Hydrofracking Pushed By Agents Instructed To Mislead Landowners.
ReplyDeletewhere I live in Flint Mi they are covering houses with giant tarps that sport various forms of advertising.
ReplyDeleteOne lady had her house covered and the roof finally stopped leaking she had buckets in every room to catch the dripping water, now thats capitalism from a leaky worthless house to a giant billboard plus she was paid 300 dollars to keep the tarp in place for 3 months who could argue with that.
Can't help but think that regulation of fracking (or the lack thereof) will go the way of regulating off shore oil drilling.
ReplyDeleteRocky,
ReplyDeleteAnother reminder that we need to get away from the kinds of fuel we are currently using -- even "natural gas," which is so often touted as better than other fuels, isn't so safe. I don't buy the assurances that "fracking" is safe.