Hydrofracking

Energy is always in demand, yet our struggle to provide the needed energy to run the world and be responsible for the effects of using those sources of energy, such as oil and coal, often proves to complicate things for everyone, especially the environment. One source of energy that has become extremely popular is natural gas. Providing approximately 20% of the world’s energy supply, natural gas, when compared to oil and coal, the other two leading energy sources, appears to be a preferred source of energy when it comes to the environment and global warming. Producing less carbon dioxide, less of a pollutant, and especially its inexpensive price, natural gas appears to be naturally preferable as an energy source.

The retrieval of natural gas, however, makes using this energy source a bit more complicated. Until recently the technology for drilling for natural gas was inefficient, costing more than the gas itself. This is where hydrofracking comes in. As a new technology designed to improve natural gas extraction, hydrofracting appears to be an easy solution to the energy complex. In reality though, this technology has its drawbacks. Creating, as usual, a struggle between the environment and the economy, this time there may be no benefit worthy for either side.

What is Hydrofracking?

Hrdrofracking is a technology that makes drilling for natural gas an economic possibility. Resulting in what can be considered a small earthquake, the shale being drilled into is fractured which causes the trapped natural gas to be released and extracted.

Using a considerably greater amount of water as well as a “slick water” mixture, meant to fracture rock and release gas, a well is drilled deep into the earth and then turned horizontally and drilled more. The horizontal segment of the well is where the hydrofracking occurs. This technology is being used in largest deposit of natural gas in the U.S., the Marcellus Shale, which spans a considerable area in the northeast as demonstrated by the map below.

Water Contamination

Drilling just one fracking requires anywhere from six to eight million gallons of fresh water, a considerable amount for a single frack. The excessive use of fresh water though does not compare to the use of the slick water. As a mixture of various chemicals, this additive to the drilling is meant to keep the fractions in the shale open so that the natural gas can be fully extracted. Drilling companies are not willing to fully disclose what the chemical mixture contains, or just how much of each chemical is being used, and reports have been varied stating that the mixture contains 260 chemicals, none of which are damaging, to a report claiming 596 chemicals, the majority of which are toxic and possibly even fatal should enough of the chemical be consumed. Considering that this potentially, or even most-likely, toxic mixture is being released in close proximity to the water table, should any of it leek there comes a risk to the entire local water supply. Wells, both private and city-owned, run the risk of becoming contaminated by the mixture.

This contamination has been recorded to occur and the effects are immediate, causing the drinking water to become murky or even brown. In some cases the methane contamination is so prominent that the drinking water becomes completely undrinkable and can actually be set on fire, as revealed in this news report on the Effects of Drilling on Local Wells done by Channel 7’s Eyewitness News.

The Opposition

Hydrofracking is being pushing quickly through New York state laws and an increase in drilling is expected to occur later this year. Due to the clear, or shall I say murky, evidence that the water is being contaminated by the drilling there has been a dramatic public backlash in an effort to prevent such an expansion to happen. The majority of  New Yorkers agree with the environmentalists and believe that hydrofracking is a serious danger to the environment, although the drilling companies are optimistic for their proposed bill given the economic state of the country and the promise of cheaper energy. They are counting on the fact that people are more worried about the economy than they are about the environment.

Not only does the increase in drilling pose a threat to the water supply, but it also threatens the surface environment. Turning the natural and beautiful landscape of the Catskills into an industrial drilling landscape will pose a serious threat to local economies given that forests will be torn down, highways increased to accommodate larger transportation trucks, as well as other visible impacts on the scenery. This irrevocable damage to the landscape will out live the benefits of drilling, and thus should not be allowed to happen.

Sources

http://www.peacecouncil.net/NOON/hydrofrac/HdryoFrac2.htm

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/oil-and-gas/news-natural-gas-it-answer-and-what-cost

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/investigators&id=7135129

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-gallay/fracking-environment_b_1186998.html