Amount of Bakken crude oil transported through Ohio by rail raises concerns
Friday, April 3, 2015
More crude oil from the Bakken Shale may be moving through Ohio than previously thought.
According to Akron Beacon Journal, an average of 437,000 barrels of Bakken crude pass through the state each day, based on crude oil rail shipment data released by the federal government March 31. Since there are no pipelines to move Bakken Shale crude oil from North Dakota and Montana, rail is the only option to move the product to East Coast refineries.
Numerous derailments and accidents involving trains carrying the highly volatile Bakken have occurred in several states as well as in Canada over the past several years. Some activists are concerned that in the event of an accident, Ohio’s first responders won’t be prepared to handle the situation. A report from the Columbus Dispatch noted that 1.4 million people live within a half-mile of railroad tracks that carry oil trains through northern and central Ohio.
Via: Akron Beacon Journal > Nearly 437,000 barrels of volatile Bakken Shale crude oil per day may pass through Ohio on trains
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What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.