What the Frack Is Going On? By: Terrence E. Fitzpatrick, Jr.

Table of Contents 1.) Introduction: What is fracking? 2.) Environmental Impacts of Fracking 3.) Health Impacts on Humans 4.) Traffic-related incidents caused by fracking plants 5.) Fracking Operations in the United States (such as the Marcellus and Barnett shale) 6.) Seismic activity caused by Fracking 7.) Conclusion

What is Fracking Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a process whereby a mixture of water, sand, and toxic chemicals gets pumped into rock formations. Fracking plants pump at extremely high pressure to fracture sediments and release oil and gas. Fracking is used to collect oil and gas to use as forms of energy. Not only does it extract oil and gas, but fracking plants also extract water.

Environmental Impacts of Fracking The natural gas emitted from fracking plants can enter bodies of water. When evaporation occurs, the gas evaporates with the water and enters the atmosphere. Traces of methane are leaked into aquifers and underground water sources. The natural gas can leak into reservoirs making local drinking water supplies flammable and unsafe to drink. The waste fluids produced from fracking plants contain several different harmful chemicals such as benzene, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, etc. The wastewater is rich in chloride, and can spill into wetland ecosystems.

Environmental Impacts of Fracking (cont.) The wastewater can contain high levels of salinity which are very dangerous to the health of soil. Huge amounts of salt can kill plant life. The salt content can clog small pores in the soil reducing its permeability which makes it hard for new plants to take root.

Health Problems Caused by Fracking Many respiratory, skin, neurological, and gastrointestinal symptoms in humans have occurred due to the exposure of the pollutants emitted from fracking plants. In a community in Pennsylvania, residents have suffered bone pain, nausea, breathing problems, and health issues. These illnesses happened because their local drinking water supply was contaminated by chemicals emitted from a nearby fracking operation. Chemicals from fracking can serve as endocrine disruptors which negate the effects of vital hormones in the body. Waste fluids from fracking evaporate in the air releasing volatile organic compounds, or V.O.C.’s. Exposure to V.O.C.’s can lead to asthma, headaches, high blood pressure, anemia, heart attacks, and cancer. The Colorado Department of Environmental and Occupational Health conducted a study in 2014, and found that mothers who live near fracking plants are 30% more likely to have babies with congenital heart defects.

Fracking Operations That Take Place Near Highways Have Been Known to Cause Severe Traffic Issues Emissions from fracking operations, combined with the exhaust from cars, can increase the amount of noxious fumes entering the atmosphere. Such noxious fumes include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, etc. Fracking has led to the damage of pavement and underlying road structures. There have been increases in car accidents involving direct injury, property damage, or accidental spills of toxic materials. The machinery in the fracking plants are responsible for causing seismic tremors and vibrations on the road.

Fracking Operations in the United States There are many hydraulic fracturing operations all over the U.S. For example, there is a fracking plant in the Marcellus Shale Region. Another one takes place in the Barnett Shale Region.

The Marcellus Shale The Marcellus Shale exists in the Appalachian Mountains. It takes up most of Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Much of the local wildlife have lost their habitats due to the natural gas development in this area. In 2010, about 4% of forests in this area were lost due to the fracking production in the past six years. Neighboring communities around the Marcellus shale area suffer from contaminated drinking water. Their tap water has shown discoloration, emitted unpleasant odors, and the water is known to be flammable.

The Barnett Shale The Barnett shale region takes place in Texas. Air pollution has become a serious issue for communities that reside near the Barnett shale. Nearby neighborhoods have suffered from emissions of benzene, carbon disulfide, etc. The fracking operation in this area has released huge concentrations of methane. Scientists conducted a study by using aircraft to measure the amounts of methane. The total approximate amount of methane emitting from the Barnett shale have been estimated to be about 13x10^3 kilograms per hour.

Seismic Activity Caused By Fracking Fracking produces great amounts of wastewater which gets pumped into injection wells thousands of feet below Earth’s surface. According to some scientists, the increase in underground pressure has triggered severe earthquakes. Oklahoma has had a serious rise in seismic activity, especially near fracking operations. Nearly 250 small or medium earthquakes were recorded in the state of Oklahoma, since January of 2014.

Seismic Activity Caused By Fracking (cont.) Scientists are thinking that the wastewater from fracking plants are also to blame for the seismic activity. Scientists linked the connection between wastewater with earthquakes in a case in Colorado which dated back decades ago. The scientists determined a massive amount of small earthquakes were triggered by wastewater injections from 1962 to 1966 at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal well close to Denver.

Conclusion Fracking is one of the many processes of collecting energy. However, air pollution, water contamination, habitat destruction, and many other problems have been caused by fracking. What makes things worse is that the dangerous side effects of fracking have been kept secret from the public. If more people are made aware about the dangers of fracking, then maybe this can carve a path to find cleaner sources of energy.