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The environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing in the United Stateshas been an issue of public concern. Environmental concerns that have been linked to fracking include the potential contamination of ground water, risks to air quality, the potential migration of gases and hydraulic fracturing chemicals to the surface, the potential mishandling of waste, and the health effects of these.[1][2] A number of suspected groundwater contamination due to hydraulic fracturing has been documented; however in the most of cases direct link between hydraulic fracturing and groundwater contamination is not established. [3] As early as 1987, researchers at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that the hydraulic fracturing process can and has contaminated groundwater. According to allegations from former EPA employees, the evidence showing the negative environmental impact of fracking was systematically removed from congressional reports to support the energy industry under the direction of the Office of Legal Counsel during the Reagan administration.[4] With the growth of hydraulic fracturing in the United States, science writer Valerie Brown predicted in 2007 that "public exposure to the many chemicals involved in energy development is expected to increase over the next few years, with uncertain consequences."[2]
One of the biggest human dangers which can result from fracking is methane migration. Methane migration is a result of methane finding its way up out of the bedrock and to the surface, often through water wells or pipelines dug into the ground. While methane migration happens naturally, natural gas activities—and especially, fracking, which releases gas when it breaks up the shale below—can greatly increase the possibility of migrations happening. Wells are typically pipes lined with cement casing. When that casing is fractured or otherwise poured incorrectly, this can result in a methane leak, the natural gas going not to the surface with the driller but into local wells and water supplies, where the methane dissolves into the water. Contaminated water is not considered undrinkable, but use can result in rashes and other health concerns.[5] When dissolved methane hits a saturation point, it will begin off-gassing, where the water will begin to bubble with methane. Because methane is highly flammable and, in high concentrations, explosive, this causes serious danger to residents in areas with methane leaks. High profile cases of methane contamination include Dimock, PA, in which residents are able to light their tapwater on fire as a result of Cabot Oil & Gas activities, and Bradford County, PA, in which local puddles were reported to be flammable.[6][7]
In 2014, researches linked a dramatic increase of earthquake activity in Ohio to oil and gas activity in the Marcellus Shale.[8] Wastewater and hydraulic fracturing flowback is produced at well sites as a byproduct of fracking, and then is either sent to one of the few wastewater treatment centers equipped to handle that volume of hazardous waste, or is sent to be put into an injection well in Ohio. The increased pressure on existing faults and Ohio geologic structures as a result of the influx of so much fluid from multiple wellsites may cause earthquakes in the region that wouldn't otherwise happen. These earthquakes linked to fracking have been reported as having magnitudes greater than 5.0 in some areas—enough to damage some buildings. Earthquakes of lower magnitudes are capable of destroying pipelines, drilling equipment, and water supply in the area, presenting a problem for both drillers and residents alike.[9]
The chemical pollutants used in fracking fluid produce widespread contamination when leaked into soil, air or water. Fracking fluid, flowback, and other environmentally-hazardous waste products are stored in impoundments either on-site or nearby the well pad. While not intentional, accidents happen frequently, resulting in contamination of soils, and, in worst-case scenarios when left unreported and/or unstopped, poisoning watersheds and groundwater with benzene, tuolene, xylene, heavy metals, and naturally-occuring radioactive material. Air pollution is produced by a variety of processes in the drilling and processing cycle, in different forms. Notable sources are the exhaust from the myriad of industry vehicles involved with transportation of gas and waste, and from a process known as “venting” in which excess methane gas is released into the air, accompanied by benzene and other volatile compounds. This chemical and gas pollution negatively impacts wildlife and local flora which come into contact with contamination, resulting in death of fish and aquatic life in instances where a watershed becomes dangerously polluted[10], and forest sickness in areas with soil or air contamination.[11]
Pollution from any of these sources—air or water—has been found to have an impact on the agricultural industry surrounding the contamination. The air pollution produces ozone at high rates, which in high amounts near the surface of the earth can be extremely detrimental to plant life and crop health. Water and soil contaminates impact plant life in a similar fashion. All types of contamination sources have also been shown to negatively impact the health of livestock, and large spills are associated with livestock experiencing neurological, reproductive, and gastrointestinal illnesses, in some cases resulting in death. The effect on livestock has so far been relatively small, however there are some concerns about contaminated meat and dairy product being sold on the market for consumption. There has not been research done to justify or put to rest those worries. [12][13]
One part of the chain natural gas takes from well to wheel is going through a [1]. Compressors, as the name implies, compress the gas in order to make it move through pipelines during the transportation stage of gas processing, similarly to how pumps move liquids through pipelines.
Concerns about compressors stem from two issues—explosions and volatile compound pollution. Compressors on the Marcellus Shale have been known to explode occasionally, and explosions have been reported in both Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia, causing one reported fatality.[14][15] While explosions are uncommon, they present a danger to workers and others nearby the compressor. Compressors have also been reported to emit toxic compounds typically found in natural gas into the air around them, including poly-aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrous oxides. The zone of this hazardous pollution extends for several miles around the compressor, and has been linked to birth defects, skin disease, cancer, and respiratory illness in nearby residents and others who sustain long-term exposure.[16][17]
Hydraulic fracturing uses between 1.2 and 3.5 million US gallons (4,500 and 13,200 m3) of water per well, with large projects using up to 5 million US gallons (19,000 m3). Additional water is used when wells are refractured.[18][19] An average well requires 3 to 8 million US gallons (11,000 to 30,000 m3) of water over its lifetime. [20][21][22] Back in 2008 and 2009 at the beginning of the shale boom in Pennsylvania, hydraulic fracturing accounted for 650 million US gallons per year (2,500,000 m3/a) (less than 0.8%) of annual water use in the area overlying the Marcellus Shale.[20][21][23] The annual number of well permits, however, increased by a factor of five[24] and the number of well starts increased by a factor of over 17 from 2008 to 2011.[25]
The sheer amount of water used, coupled with the rapid growth of the Marcellus Shale play, means that in some areas—particularly areas undergoing drought—gas interests compete for water usage with farmers and others who use municipal water, often resulting in driving up the prices for water in those areas.
The drilling boom in the Marcellus Shale has led to a dramatic increase in roads, cleared forest areas, and filled wetlands as operators construct wells, store waste, and transport workers, supplies, products, and waste. Many urban areas and rural community centers pass either fracking bans or moratoriums against fracking within city limits, due to worries about the dangers described above. As a result, drilling growth tends to occur in less populated areas, which can include state parks, state forests, and other areas where there are natural, delicate ecological communities. Habitat fragmentation occurs when the criss-crossing of roads and clearing of natural landscape depletes the integrity of the ecological community enough to permanently alter or destroy it. Because of the amount of construction and infrastructure required by natural gas operations, risk for habitat fragmentation is high.[26] This can have an extremely adverse effect on local wildlife and plant populations, especially for rare and endangered species which require old-growth forest or un-fragmented wetlands to breed, migrate, and survive.[27]
More than a quarter-century of efforts by some lawmakers and regulators to force the federal government to police the industry better have been thwarted, as E.P.A. studies have been repeatedly narrowed in scope and important findings have been removed
Hydrofracturing a horizontal Marcellus well may use 4 to 8 million gallons of water, typically within about 1 week. However, based on experiences in other major U.S. shale gas fields, some Marcellus wells may need to be hydrofractured several times over their productive life (typically five to twenty years or more)
...each well requires between 3 and 7 million gallons of water for hydraulic fracturing and the number of wells is expected to grow in the future
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