It is important for citizens to be able to make educated decisions when participating in democratic institutions.

Policy in Canada can be shaped by the views of the population, however, these views may also be influenced by political rhetoric, the media, and industry. A prominent issue which politicians and citizens alike have been grappling with lately is that of hydraulic fracturing or fracking. This month there have been protests against new shale gas projects in New Brunswick because of potential environmental and health impacts (Schwatz D., and Gollom 2013). So is fracking safe? In order to examine the safety of shale gas extraction, it is first necessary to understand the process itself. Hydraulic fracturing experiments were first carried out in the 1940s by Floyd Farris of Stanoloid Oil and Gas Corporation. Oil and gas reserves deep within the crust are difficult to extract by direct vertical drilling (Montgomery, C.T., Smith 2010). Reserves considered conventional are small pockets of gas or oil found in porous sections of rock formations like carbonates and sandstones. These can be accessed by direct drilling and easily escape the porous rock. To access unconventional reserves, those trapped in less porous rock formations like shale, the rock must be fractured to create a well. This is done by injecting a high pressure mixture of water and chemicals into the rock. Once this fracture is created, a propping agent, such as sand, is injected to keep the fracture from closing. The water and chemical mixture is then returned to the surface. Natural gas can then flow into the well through pores and cracks in the rock, allowing for easier extraction(United States Environmental Protection Agency 2012). Figure 1: Explanation of the process of fracking showing how gas can escape and be captured by well (Anon 2013). As of 2010, fossil fuels accounted for 81% of total global energy use and demand for energy continues to rise(United Nations Environment Programme 2012). Hydraulic fracturing practices have already had a direct effect on the Canadian economy. There are major shale gas reserves across the country from Horn River Basin in British Columbia to Horton Bluff Shale in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia(Natural Resources Canada 2011a). The Utica Shale Gas reserve in Quebec, which is not yet developed, is estimated to have a potential value of $70-140 billion if fully developed. As well, the oil and gas industry currently provides 500 000 jobs in Canada(Natural Resources Canada 2011b). These impacts are not insignificant. However, the potential economic gains must be weighed against environmental damage. People living near hydraulic fracturing projects are concerned about water contamination which could affect their health. Although 99% of the mixture injected into the rock is water, the remaining 1% consists of potentially harmful chemicals. There has been speculation into the exact composition of this mixture since companies can choose whether or not to disclose this information. Based on tests of local tap water, chemicals such as methanol, isopropyl alcohol, and ethylene glycol have been found (Jackson et al. 2013). A report conducted by the House of Representatives Committee for Energy and Commerce in the United States found that 750 chemicals were used in fracking processes between 14 companies surveyed. Of these, 29 are carcinogenic or are considered toxic under the Safe Drinking Water Act(United States Environmental Protection Agency 2004). The amount of fresh water used is also of concern to environmentalists. It was estimated that the fracking industry uses on average 11 million litres of fresh water per well. This water is either treated and returned to the water system or stored in wells underground(United States Environmental Protection Agency 2004).

Taking a position on the development of hydraulic fracturing projects requires a basic understanding of the process and its impacts. Hopefully you can now consider both the potential economic benefits and environmental disadvantages of this process. To definitely answer whether or not hydraulic fracturing is safe will require more scientific research. In the meantime, with the information provided Canadians can being to make informed decisions and better participate in our democratic institutions. Sources Cited: Anon, 2013. What is Hydraulic Fracturing? Journalism in the Public Interst. [Image] Available at: http://www.propublica.org/special/hydraulic-fracturing-national [Accessed October 27, 2013] Jackson, R.B. et al., 2013. Increased stray gas abundance in a subset of drinking water wells near Marcellus shale gas extraction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110(28), pp.112505. Montgomery, C.T., Smith, M.B., 2010. Hydraulic Fracturing: History of an Enduring Technology. Journal of Petroleum Technology, pp.2632. Natural Resources Canada, 2011a. Natural Gas: A Primer. Government of Canada. Available at: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/sources/natural-gas/1233#why [Accessed October 26, 2013]. Natural Resources Canada, 2011b. Shale Gas. Government of Canada. Available at: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/sources/natural-gas/1349#6 [Accessed October 26, 2013]. Schwatz D., and Gollom, M., 2013. N.B. fracking protests and the fight for aboriginal rights. CBC News. Available at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/n-b-fracking-protests-and-the-fight-for-aboriginal-rights1.2126515 [Accessed October 25, 2013]. United Nations Environment Programme, 2012. Gas fracking: can we safely squeeze the rocks? Environmental Development, 6(1), pp.86 99. United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2004. Evaluation of Impacts to Underground Sources of Drinking Water by Hydraulic Fracturing of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs Study United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012. Hydraulic Fracturing Background Information, Available at: http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/wells_hydrowhat.cfm [Accessed October 26, 2013].