Summary of US experience with fracking for oil and gas, with snapshots of shale development activity around the world
Environmental
The Nature Conservance. “An Assessment of the Potential Impacts of High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing (HVHF) on Forest Resources.” December 19, 2011.
Explains how allowing widespread drilling and fracking in New York would fragment and degrade the states forests, destroying wildlife habitat and devaluing the ecosystem services the forests provide, including large scale filtering that provides clean water.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory. [Draft]. “Investigation of Ground Water Contamination near Pavillion, Wyoming.” EPA 600/R-00/000. December 8, 2011
A draft report (not yet peer-reviewed) which concludes that fracking likely explains methane contamination of deep groundwater near Pavillion, Wyoming and that shallow groundwater contamination was likely due to surface spills of fracking wastewater.
U. S. EPA. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. [Report to Congress]. “Management of Wastes from the Exploration, Development, and Production of Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Geothermal Energy.” EPA/530-SW-88-003. December 8, 1987.
Report cites example of water well contamination by hydraulic fracturing fluids, and importantly states that investigation of other suspected cases of contamination was thwarted by the sealing of legal settlements between landowners and drilling companies.
N.B.: 1987 report had been buried and forgotten until an Environmental Working Group report published August 3, 2011, in conjunction with a New York Times story.
- Horwitt, Dusty. Environmental Working Group. “Cracks in the facade: 25 years ago, EPA linked ‘fracking’ to water contamination.” August 3, 2011.
- Urbina, Ian. “A tainted water well, and concern there may be more.” New York Times. August 3, 2011.
Link to copy of 1987 EPA report, hosted by The New York Times.
Food & Water Watch. ” The Case for a Ban on Gas Fracking.” June 2011.
Summary:
This report is a summary of the problems associated with the modern era of hydraulic fracturing in the US.
Osborn, Stephen G. et al. “Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. April 14, 2011
The study, published by the National Academy of Sciences, found that average methane concentrations in shallow drinking water in active gas drilling areas were 17 times higher than those in non-active areas. The methane concentrations of drinking water closest to active gas wells were considered potential explosion hazards.
U.S. House of Representatives. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Minority Staff Report. “Chemicals Used in Hydraulic Fracturing.” April 2011.
The congressional investigations found that fracking fluids contained 750 chemicals, some of which were very hazardous to human health, including benzene and lead. Fracking fluids even included diesel fuel, which contains carcinogens such as benzene and toluene and is the only fracking chemical that requires a permit to inject into wells under Safe Water Drinking Act.
Urbina, Ian. “Regulation lax as gas wells’ tainted water hits rivers.” New York Times. February 26, 2011.
The investigative report highlights presence of high-levels of radioactivity (e.g., Radium 226) in fracking wastewater sent to treatment plants that are unequipped to remove many of its toxic materials, meaning partly treated waste was discharged into rivers, lakes and streams.
Caruso, David B. “State allows dumping of tainted wastewater.” Associated Press. January 3, 2011.
The review of Pennsylvania’s fracking water treatment revealed the state could not account for the disposal method of 1.28 million barrels of wastewater (one-fifth of the annual total) due to faulty reporting. Some drinking water utilities downstream from fracking wastewater facilities have struggled to sufficiently treat or remove trihalomethanes, which can cause cancer with chronic exposure and which likely resulted from high-levels of bromide in fracking wastewater.
Citizens Campaign Fund for the Environment. “Protecting New York’s Air, Land, Water and People: A Case for Enacting a Moratorium on Hydro-fracking.” September 2010.
Specifically addressed shortcomings in the New York Department of Environmental Conservation draft plan (of September 2009) for permitting shale gas development.
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