Topic: The Truth About Fracking
Author: Chris Mooney
Author: Chris Mooney
Main Points:
- Anthony Ingraffea, Scientists in the March meeting hosted by the EPA to help determine whether fracking is guilty as charged
- Fracking is infusing toxic chemicals and gas intro drinking-water supplies
- Basic technique of hydraulic fracturing has been used in conventional-style wells since 1940s.
- When vertical well shaft hits layer of shale, chemically treated water and sand are blasted down at high pressure to crack open rock and liberate natural gas.
- Technique been combined with a newer technology called directional or horizontal, drilling- the ability to turn a downward-plodding drill bit as much as 90 degrees and continue drilling within the layer, parallel to the ground surface.
- Result is a veritable Gas Rush.
- U.S estimated 827 trillion cubic feet of unconventional shale gas within reach
- Unlike fracking of vertical wells, horizontal fracking needs enormous volumes of water and chemicals
- Ponds and tanks are needed to store the flowback water that comes up the hole after wells have been fractured
- Fracking is not that powerful. It is not enough to blow open new fissures.
- Companies may drill a dozen or more vertical wells to maximize access to gas.
- Scientists and regulators are trying to answer the complex question.
- Department of Environmental Conservation unveiled a plan to give drilling companies access to 85% of state's portion of the Marcellus and Utica Shale formations.
- Fracking would not be allowed in NYC or Syracuse watersheds, because water supplies and unfiltered between those water supplies.
- It takes two to four million gallons of water for a single lateral and 15,000 to 60,000 gallons of chemicals.
- Transporting liquids involves fleet of tanker trucks and large storage containers
- 75% percent of what is blasted down comes back up.
- Chemicals are used to help fracking flow
- Toxic water must be stored on-site and later transported to treatment plants or is reused
- Companies use open-air pits dug into the ground.
- All these processes can cause accidents.
- DoEP fined Chesapeake almost $1 million for contaminating 16 families' water wells with methane as a result of improper drilling practices.
- Impacts can be blamed on fracking if the term refers to the whole industrial process.
- To show that racking as industry defines the problem, you have to examine the alleged threat that is simultaneously the most publicized and yet the most certain
- The idea that water blasts deep underground can directly contaminate drinking water, by creating unexpected pathways for gas or liquid to travel between deep hale and shallow groundwater.
- Faulty cementing is the leading suspect in possible sources of contamination
- Any well has to pass through near-surface layers that contain groundwater
- It could also pass through unknown pockets of gas.
- Drillers fill the gap between the gas pipe and the wall of the hole with concrete so buoyant gas cannot rise up along the outside of the pipe and seep into groundwater.
- A casing failure might allow chemical flowback, propelled by pressure released when the shale is cracked.
- The problem might not be fully fixable.
- A significant percentage of cement jobs will fail.
- Contamination because of bad cementing has been a long standing problem
- Because of depths of gas and combination of fracking and directional drilling, millions of gallons per fracking operation.
Author's Point:
The author is trying to prove that their is a debate of whether or not fracking is guilty as charged. Fracking is the process in which a vertical well shaft hits a layer of shale. Water hits the shale to crack open rocks and release natural gas. It takes two to four million gallons of water for a single drill and 15,000 to 60,000 gallons of chemicals. Fracking, though has been said to contaminate the drinking water of people's homes around the fracking areas. The causes of this could be from many sources. One source was said to be poor cementing. Poor cementing could let the natural gases to seep out. Another reason would be that if drills link up with preexisting openings, it allows the gas to travel upwards back to the surface. The last way that the water could be contaminated is by methane migration. Methane is released from rocks, and with enough pressure, it could drive water and chemicals back into the drilling hole and into the groundwater.
The author is trying to prove that their is a debate of whether or not fracking is guilty as charged. Fracking is the process in which a vertical well shaft hits a layer of shale. Water hits the shale to crack open rocks and release natural gas. It takes two to four million gallons of water for a single drill and 15,000 to 60,000 gallons of chemicals. Fracking, though has been said to contaminate the drinking water of people's homes around the fracking areas. The causes of this could be from many sources. One source was said to be poor cementing. Poor cementing could let the natural gases to seep out. Another reason would be that if drills link up with preexisting openings, it allows the gas to travel upwards back to the surface. The last way that the water could be contaminated is by methane migration. Methane is released from rocks, and with enough pressure, it could drive water and chemicals back into the drilling hole and into the groundwater.
My thoughts:
Throughout this article many things will damage if people or the EPA didn't take action to this conflict and the fracking company should start doing it's job by paying people insurance and the cause of their manufacture. And the damage that it's causing to people health. Fracking is a waste of time because many of us should worry about our drinkable water and the nuclear things that is going on instead of polluting the earth and killing people. Also, making more damage to our environment. When the fracking fails, it releases alot of toxin chemicals that can kill us in seconds.
Throughout this article many things will damage if people or the EPA didn't take action to this conflict and the fracking company should start doing it's job by paying people insurance and the cause of their manufacture. And the damage that it's causing to people health. Fracking is a waste of time because many of us should worry about our drinkable water and the nuclear things that is going on instead of polluting the earth and killing people. Also, making more damage to our environment. When the fracking fails, it releases alot of toxin chemicals that can kill us in seconds.
So what?
Fracking uses a large amount of land and water for just one drill. It takes hours to contaminated our drinkable water. Also uses different type of chemicals.
Says who?
Chris Mooney.
What if...
Fracking never been done or invented?
What does it remind you of?
The movie that Mrs. Ogo showed us called "The Gasland".
Fracking uses a large amount of land and water for just one drill. It takes hours to contaminated our drinkable water. Also uses different type of chemicals.
Says who?
Chris Mooney.
What if...
Fracking never been done or invented?
What does it remind you of?
The movie that Mrs. Ogo showed us called "The Gasland".