Hydraulic Fracking Hurting the Everyman
By Josh Davison
I recently found this
interesting website talking about the dangers of hydraulic fracturing. As a Geology student I have recently been
informed that these fractures can cause man-made earthquakes, but the problem
itself goes much deeper.
Here is the
website, you really need to look at it/it is fun and interactive: http://dangersoffracking.com/
Now hydraulic fracking itself
occurs normally through cross cutting formations propagating rocks in the forms
of dikes veins. It is inside these
formed dikes and veins that a source of petroleum, natural gas, or coal can
settle forming a reservoir of these valuable natural resources. Energy companies are attempting to accelerate
this process through means of injecting vast amounts of injecting fluid into
the ground at a very high pressure in the attempt to fracture the shale and
release the natural gases inside. This
is where the problem lies.
It takes 1-8 million gallons of
water to complete each fracturing job.
This water is mixed with sand and chemicals to create fracking
fluid. These chemicals include lead,
uranium, radium, methanol, mercury, and formaldehyde among others. During the process of injecting all of this
into the shale underground it leaches out of the system to contaminate the
groundwater. For miles around a fracking
site people may have contaminated ground water.
There have been over 1,000 cases of contamination in ground water from fracking
sites leading to many different kinds of health concerns. Of all this fracking fluid less than half is
ever recovered and the rest is left to rot deep underground where residents get
their groundwater.
The dangers of fracking are very
real and dangerous. Most of these
fracking sites are located among poor communities with ethnic minorities that
cannot speak out for themselves. It is
time we all spoke out against fracking.
Let’s end it now. Contact your
local officials at the end of the link that has already been mentioned!
