Like most people, I initially had no idea what fracking was all about. It is an intriguing word. Yet for someone interested in water research I needed to look into it further. Here's what you and I may not have known about fracking...
Hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a fracking) is a process of natural gas extraction used in deep natural gas well drilling. Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale and props open fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.
A form of fracking- Horizontal fracking- uses a mixture of 596 chemicals and millions of gallons of water per frack. This water then becomes contaminated and must be cleaned and disposed of.
To clean this water, evaporators evaporate off VOCs (Volatile organic compounds) and condensate tanks steam off VOCs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The wastewater is then trucked to water treatment facilities.
As the VOCs are evaporated and come into contact with diesel exhaust from trucks and generators at the well site, ground level ozone is produced. Ozone plumes can travel up to 250 miles.*
As the VOCs are evaporated and come into contact with diesel exhaust from trucks and generators at the well site, ground level ozone is produced. Ozone plumes can travel up to 250 miles.*
Therefore this process is associated with environmental and human health concerns, primarily through the contamination of ground water, risks to air quality, the migration of gases and hydraulic fracturing chemicals to the surface, and the potential mishandling of waste.** A 2010 EPA study discovered contaminants in drinking water including: arsenic, copper, vanadium, and adamantanes adjacent to drilling operations.
In Canada, concerns about fracking began in late July 2011, when the Government of British Columbia gave Talisman Energy a long-term water licence to draw water from the BC Hydro-owned Williston Lake reservoir, for a twenty year term. Fracking has also received criticism, in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The practice has been temporarily suspended, in Quebec, pending an environmental review. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has also expressed concern.***
There have also been cases made for explosive gases entering private potable water wells, causing "flammable water". An Alberta resident has filed a lawsuit on this matter due to the flammable nature of her water, especially as natural gas drilling plants are located near her home. To learn more about this story you can visit the CBC report and video.
We need energy, but we also need safe and clean water and air. Which of the two deserves priority?
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** "Chemicals Used in Hydraulic Fracturing". Democrats Committee on Energy and Commerce. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
*** "Northern B.C. fracking licence concerns critics". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
