Nothing Natural About Extracting Gas

Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” — the process by which natural gas is extracted from rock formations — has been the focus of critical attention in recent weeks.

There’s been quite a lot of talk about natural gas lately. In particular, hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” — the process by which natural gas is extracted from rock formations — has been the focus of critical attention in recent weeks. Our report and fact sheet can fill in any blanks on the subject. This method of extraction has allowed access to gas that was previously out of reach. Since the early 2000’s, companies have positioned themselves in various locations around the country where natural gas is abundant — from the Barnett Shale formation in Texas to the Marcellus Shale formation, which covers parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Maryland, and has attracted the most attention.

While fracking has allowed companies to access more natural gas, it also poses a great threat to the environment — specifically to water — and there are plenty of reasons to be concerned.

Fracking requires the use of millions of gallons of water, which is mixed with potent chemicals and sand, a process that both depletes and contaminates local water supplies. The gas itself can also leak through the ground into nearby wells, creating a major safety hazard. There have been more than 1,000 documented cases of water contamination near drilling sites, and drilling-related methane leaks have caused explosions resulting in injuries and loss of life and property.

Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, fracking became exempt from a section of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Companies also got a free pass from reporting the contents of the chemicals used in the process. Only ten states require that fracturing chemicals be disclosed. No states currently require that drillers reveal the amount of fluid that’s left in the ground once the gas is extracted.

By now, many of you have already heard about or seen the images of tap water lighting on fire from Josh Fox’s award-winning documentary, “Gasland.”  The film, which debuted on HBO this summer, has been getting a lot of attention, and it’s release couldn’t be more timely.

Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, fracking became exempt from a section of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Companies also got a free pass from reporting the contents of the chemicals used in the process. Only ten states require that fracturing chemicals be disclosed. No states currently require that drillers reveal the amount of fluid that’s left in the ground once the gas is extracted.

Last Friday, three members of the House of Representatives—Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA)—successfully received approval from a House panel for a $1 million study on the effects on water from fracking. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will conduct the cumulative impact study on the Marcellus Shale natural gas wells in the Delaware River Basin and assess the public health and environmental risks of hydraulic fracturing.

Fracking is just another example of poor ethics in corporate culture — the idea that it’s okay to introduce man-made chemicals into our environment without first proving they’re safe. Now, new legislation — the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act — has been introduced in Congress that would close the loophole in the Safe Drinking Water Act that exempts hydraulic fracturing from regulation, and require companies to disclose the chemicals they use. We need to ensure that our methods of energy extraction are as safe as possible and that we’re not contaminating our water. Write to your representative and tell them to hold off on more hydraulic fracturing until we know how it affects human health.

-Rich Bindell