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Harlie Wells
Mrs. Aughenbaugh
English 12
07 February 2014
Dangers of Fracking
Thousands of people all over America are in danger. At first, fracking for shale was
considered a good thing but no longer is. Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) is putting people in
danger. Severe illness is not worth cheaper gas prices. Fracking regulations should be stricter
because it pollutes air, water, and destroys habitats.
Fracking is also known as hydraulic fracturing. This is a new technology for natural gas
extraction. They drill a series of wells in which they use billions of gallons of chemical water and
sand. This mixture gets shot into the well at a high pressure going thousands of feet in order to
fracture shale rock. Under the fractured shale rock is natural gas which is then extracted. Without
Hydraulic Fracturing it would not be possible for deep methane gas extraction (Dong).
Fracking regulations should be stricter. First of all, it pollutes the air with hazardous
chemicals. These chemicals include, but are not limited to, methane and volatile organic
compounds, which react with heat and sunlight. On and around fracking sites there have been
chemicals such as Benzene found in the air which could make people extremely ill. Researchers
have found potentially toxic chemicals-including cancer-causing benzene-in the air near fracking
sites (Polson and Efstathiou). The findings of these chemicals pose higher health risks for those
who live near well sites.
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New regulations have been put in place but only where it is seen cost efficient to do so.
These regulations could potentially cut smog release by twenty five percent; this would be the
equivalent of eleven million cars being taken off the road. This would also prevent the release of
3.4 tons of methane gas. This would make more products thus producing a greater profit for the
fracking industry (Polson and Efstathiou).
So many articles focused on air pollution but water pollution is important as well.
Researchers focus on wells half a mile or less from towns testing what chemicals are in the wells.
The information collected from the tests is used to test chemicals in water. The results are then
released to the public so they know rather or not the water is safe. Unsafe water can cause many
different complications to people in the areas affected by it, such as illness, death; it can even
cause houses to explode.
Just recently, 200 wells were proposed in Colorado 500 feet from homes. Shortly after
water began to taste and smell funny. This gave the EPA reason enough to test the water and the
chemicals in the surrounding wells. They recorded it was not the wells themselves producing the
chemicals in the water but the chemicals left in dump tanks. Dump tanks are is large pits where
some of the left over waste water is kept (Polson and Efstathiou).
A study done in Fort Worth, Texas, released in July of 2013, found air pollution above
state limits at five sites. Fort Worth has more than 1400 wells permitted in the city limits.
Garfield County found cancer causing benzene and other polluting chemicals that were at high
enough levels to be considered dangerous between the years of 2005-2007. The Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment sampled air around some gas wells in 2000,
according to a 2002 report. It concluded that concentrations of non-cancer causing chemicals in
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Parachute Valley, Colorado were too low to pose significant health risk and that benzene levels
were high enough to merit further study (Polson and Efstathiou).

Documented contamination in Wyoming came from thirty-three drilling waste pits which
had leaked chemicals. These chemicals also contained organic compounds. These compounds
are a result of fracking fluids mixing with ground water. Looking through all the facts, no one
can say there is no harm in fracking and be able to support it. Many factors at play show just how
much of a danger fracking is (Polson and Efstathiou).
Some of the discussed topics have caused large debates. The EPA swears by the evidence
they have collected as solid proof. Meaning the EPA states they have not in any way tampered
with the data that has been collected. On the other hand the fracking companies state that the data
collected from the EPA has been tampered with. Fracking companies have also run their own
tests which have come out inconclusive at best. Some of the topics they disagree on are Pavilion,
replacement drinking water, and EPA samples in 2008 (Lustgarten and Kusnetz).
The problems with water in Pavillion began in the 1990s. These problems included
funny tasting and colored water. The problem grew worse in 2004 shortly after drilling began.
Residents were told not to drink the water in their homes and to fully air out the house while
taking baths to avoid explosions. Shortly after testing we discovered the methane in the water
was much too high for usage. (Lustgarten and Kusnetz).
Replacement drinking water was another big issue. The EPA believes a supply of
replacement drinking water should be supplied to the places affected by fracking. The fracking
companies, on the other hand, say the water contamination is not their fault. They should not
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have to supply water to places they have not affected. Considering that both companies hold
completely different views, they should find a compromise. Maybe the gas company could fix
the contamination while the EPA supplies safe and fresh water to those whom are affected
(Lustgarten and Kusnetz).
The EPA ran tests in Garfield County in 2008. These tests were used to see if the quality
of the water had changed. Their results showed that contaminants linked to fracking were in the
water that were not there before. The fracking companies wanted a retest under their supervision.
The EPA agreed and tested again in 2010. Yet, again even with close supervision, the results
showed contaminates closely linked to fracking. To this day the fracking companies will not take
responsibility. Now the people of Garfield County have to ventilate their homes to avoid
explosions (Lustgarten and Kusnetz).
Since fracking has become popular a spike in earthquakes has occurred. The most are
occurring on fault lines where wells are being drilled nearby. The earthquakes have gone from
fifty in 2009 to 134 in 2011. That is a drastic spike in earthquakes. The only possible link found
are fracking fluids acting as a lubricant on tectonic plates. Plus the only possible cause for higher
earthquakes is more and more fracking fluid is being used to drill wells (Horwitt and Formuzis).
As the number of wells go up so do the number of waste pits. It only makes sense that as
fracking grows so does the amount of waste, thus creating a need for more waste pits. Between
the time frame of 2001 and 2010 waste pits have increased by sixty five percent, due to the fact
the amount of fluids being used has gone up by one hundred fold create more waste per site even
(Horwitt and Formuzis).

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Not only is fracking harmful to humans it is also harmful to animals. Sometimes when
fracking companies go onto a site they have to cut down trees for more room. Not only does that
affect the oxygen supply, it also destroys some animal habitats. It is truly sad to see certain
species go from flourishing in an area to nearly extinct all because of habitat loss. Animals
water lies at a higher elevation in the ground compared to the water people drink. If the water
people drink is being contaminated, just imagine the water animals drink. That could make them
seriously sick and they will eventually migrate elsewhere (wilderness).
Clearly, fracking in its current state has more downs than ups. Though, with stricter laws
for fracking put in place, it could become a very useful resource. Even though stricter rules are
being placed in more populated areas the drilling companies need to think about the wildlife in
more rural areas. Most of the changes starting to be put in effect probably will not be fully
affective for quite a few more years.








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Works Cited

Dong, Linda. What Goes In And Out Of Hydraulic Fracturing. Dangers of Fracking.
GaslandTheMovie, 16 Nov 2013. Web. 13 Jan 2014.
<http://www.dangersoffracking.com/>.

Horwitt, Dusty, and Alex Formuzis. Fracking Causes Seismic Instability and
Earthquakes. Fracking. Ed. Tamara Thompson. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At
Issue. Rpt. from USGS: Recent Earthquakes 'Almost Certainly Manmade'Report
Implicates Oil and Natural Gas Drilling. 2012. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 14
Jan. 2014.

Lustgarten, Abrahm, and Nick Kusnetz. Fracking Contaminates Drinking Water.
Fracking. Ed. Tamara Thompson. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. Rpt. from
Feds Link Gas Fracking to Drinking Water Pollution for the First Time.
www.propublica.org. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.

Polson, Jim, and Jim Efstathiou. Fracking Pollutes the Air with Hazardous Chemicals.
Fracking. Ed. Tamara Thompson. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. Rpt. from
"Fracking Wells' Air Emissions Pose Health Risks, Study Finds." 2012. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
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wilderness, EPA. "fracking dangers, 7 deadly reasons. Fracking dangers, 7 Deadly
reasons. the wilderness society, 25 Feb 2013. Web. 13 Jan 2014.
<http://wilderness.org/blog/fracking-dangers-7-ugly-reasons-why-wilderness-lovers-
should-be-worried>.