Natural gas production often involves drilling for gas in vast shale rock formations using a liquid mixture to inject into the drill hole. The fluid creates intense pressure that forces out the gas trapped in the rock formation deep below the surface of the earth. This shale gas drilling technique is commonly called fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing. The liquid mixture used in the process contains many chemicals. Critics of the technique claim that the risk of the chemicals leaching into groundwater reservoirs is too high. This potentially harmful side effect is called fracking water contamination.
Water is mixed together with sand, benzene and other chemicals and pumped into the rock structure under high pressure to expand fractures in the rock, thereby releasing the gas. This mixture of water, sand and chemicals is pumped hundreds, sometimes thousands, of feet into the ground, increasing the risk of toxic materials polluting groundwater.
Hydraulic gas drilling occurs in many locations all around the world. In the USA, the technique is used in the Marcellus shale in New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio; the Fayetteville shale in Arkansas; the Haynesville-Bossier shale in Texas and Louisiana; the Woodford shale in Texas and Oklahoma.; the Barnett shale in Texas; and the Eagle Ford shale in southern Texas.
Based on estimates produced by the shale rock hydraulic drilling gas industry, only 60-70 percent of the hydraulic drilling fluid is recovered and treated. The remainder remains underground. As hydraulic drilling expands, neighboring landowners increasingly report polluted water resources.
Hydraulic drilling has attracted many critics. Property owners near drilling areas claim that the drilling has leaked chemicals into groundwater and then seeped into rivers, streams, wells and so on. In extreme cases, the toxicity of polluted water is so high that it can be set on fire.
In 2004, a controversial report by the US Environmental Protection Agency concluded that hydraulic fracturing represented little to no risks to groundwater supplies. The report attracted heavy criticism. In particular, critics claimed its contents and conclusions were overly influenced by the shale gas drilling industry. Nevertheless, the report was employed to convince the Congress to exempt the industry from tight regulation, including the requirements set out in various federal legislation.
The major concern raised by critics is the chemicals used in with shale gas drilling. Some studies suggest more than 60 chemicals may be used as fracturing fluids by shale gas drillers. In addition to benzene, the chemicals used are likely to include toluene, glycol-ethers, ethanol and nonylphenols. These chemicals have been extensively studied by medical researchers and known to be linked to human health disorders. As a result, fracking water contamination potentially poses a serious health risk for exposed individuals.
Water is mixed together with sand, benzene and other chemicals and pumped into the rock structure under high pressure to expand fractures in the rock, thereby releasing the gas. This mixture of water, sand and chemicals is pumped hundreds, sometimes thousands, of feet into the ground, increasing the risk of toxic materials polluting groundwater.
Hydraulic gas drilling occurs in many locations all around the world. In the USA, the technique is used in the Marcellus shale in New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio; the Fayetteville shale in Arkansas; the Haynesville-Bossier shale in Texas and Louisiana; the Woodford shale in Texas and Oklahoma.; the Barnett shale in Texas; and the Eagle Ford shale in southern Texas.
Based on estimates produced by the shale rock hydraulic drilling gas industry, only 60-70 percent of the hydraulic drilling fluid is recovered and treated. The remainder remains underground. As hydraulic drilling expands, neighboring landowners increasingly report polluted water resources.
Hydraulic drilling has attracted many critics. Property owners near drilling areas claim that the drilling has leaked chemicals into groundwater and then seeped into rivers, streams, wells and so on. In extreme cases, the toxicity of polluted water is so high that it can be set on fire.
In 2004, a controversial report by the US Environmental Protection Agency concluded that hydraulic fracturing represented little to no risks to groundwater supplies. The report attracted heavy criticism. In particular, critics claimed its contents and conclusions were overly influenced by the shale gas drilling industry. Nevertheless, the report was employed to convince the Congress to exempt the industry from tight regulation, including the requirements set out in various federal legislation.
The major concern raised by critics is the chemicals used in with shale gas drilling. Some studies suggest more than 60 chemicals may be used as fracturing fluids by shale gas drillers. In addition to benzene, the chemicals used are likely to include toluene, glycol-ethers, ethanol and nonylphenols. These chemicals have been extensively studied by medical researchers and known to be linked to human health disorders. As a result, fracking water contamination potentially poses a serious health risk for exposed individuals.
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