Since it allows energy companies access to previously nonviable and completely untapped oil and gas reserves, fracking boosts domestic oil production and lowers energy costs (IHS Global Insights 2012). Its supporters offer statistics that suggest it reduces unemployment and contributes to economic growth (IHS Global Insights 2012). Finally, gas is not a renewable source of energy this is a negative in the eyes of those who oppose continued reliance on fossil fuels.įracking is not without its advantages. The third concern is that fracking may cause minor earthquakes by undermining the seismic stability of an area-a concern downplayed by the companies involved (Henry 2012). Environmental Protection Agency’s study of fracking is ongoing (Environmental Protection Agency 2014). Industry leaders suggest that such contamination is unlikely and that when it does occur, it is incidental and related to unavoidable human error rather than the expected risk of the practice, but the U.S. These chemicals may pollute groundwater near the extraction site (Colborn, Kwiatkowski, Schultz, and Bachran 2011 United States 2011). Second, the chemicals used in a fracking mix are potentially carcinogenic. Water transportation comes at a high environmental cost, and once mixed with fracking chemicals, water is unsuitable for human and animal consumption, though it is estimated that between 10 percent and 90 percent of the contaminated water is returned to the water cycle. Fracking has gathered momentum lately and has become a subject of political debate and controversy ( Mazur, 2016)įirst, fracking requires huge amounts of water. Fracking has brought temporary economic growth, since 2008, to rural communities while simultaneously it has created environmental and human health concerns ( Murphy, 2020). While energy companies view fracking as a profitable revolution in the industry, there are a number of concerns associated with the practice. Commonly, this process also includes drilling horizontally into the rock to create new pathways for gas to travel. Fracking, another word for hydraulic fracturing, is a method used to recover gas and oil from shale by drilling down into the earth and directing a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and proprietary chemicals into the rock.
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