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What is Fracking?
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release the natural gas inside.
Why do we Frack?
Fracking is a way to obtain natural gas from under layers of shale rock. Natural gas is a fossil fuel, but is said to be a cleaner burning fossil fuel. It is more eco-friendly to burn natural gas, which is primarily methane, than it is to burn coal or oil. Natural gas can serve as an alternative to coal and oil in fueling our lives. Since it is a cleaner burning fuel, people think we should make a switch to it as soon as possible.
Risks of Fracking
The chemicals that are injected into shale deposits during fracking in the U.S include acids, detergents and poisons that can be harmful if they seep into drinking water. Trucking and storage accidents have caused spills of fracking fluids and the salty water used called brine also resulting in contaminated drinking water. Gas companies often do not disclose the composition of their fracking chemicals, making it difficult to monitor the risks of each fracking project. Methane gas can also escape during fracking, creating the possibility of dangerous explosions
Known Chemicals
Up to 600 chemicals are used in fracking fluid, including known chemicals such as; lead, uranium, mercury, radium, methanol, hydrochloric acid, and formaldehyde.
Water Contaminations
During the fracturing of shale rocks, methane gas and toxic chemicals leach out from the system and contaminate nearby groundwater. Methane concentrations are 17x higher in drinking water wells near fracturing sites than in normal wells
Drinking Water
Contaminated well water is used for drinking water in nearby cities and towns. There have been over 1,000 documented cases of water contamination next to areas of gas drilling as cases of sensory, respiratory, and neurological damage due to ingested contaminated water.
No federal regulation
Thanks to loopholes and exemptions there are no federal regulations. The 2005 Energy Policy Act provides the oil and gas industry with sweeping exemptions from provisions in the major federal environmental statues intended to protect human health and the environment, including the: Safe Drinking Water Act Clean Water Act
Youtube Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51wOisfdIPo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qKadxyMOYY
References
http://www.thinkbeforeyoufrack.org/about-hydrofracking/ http://www.dangersoffracking.com/ http://www.what-is-fracking.com/ http://dontfrackwithny.com/what-is-fracking/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51wOisfdIPo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qKadxyMOYY