Studies show fracking does not effect groundwater
Monday, November 21, 2016
According to The Heartland Institute, there’s aplenty of literature out there to support the claim that hydraulic fracturing does not pose a systemic impact on groundwater.
At least 15 studies on the effects of fracking on groundwater have been produced over the last six years, including ones by the Bureau of Economic Geology at the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas-Austin, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, the California Council on Science and Technology and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, and Germany’s Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources.
A multi-year study done by the United States Environmental Protection Agency found fracking has not created systemic impacts on drinking water, stating “the number of cases where drinking water resources were impacted is small relative to the number of hydraulically fractured wells.”
Since its June 2015 release, the study is has been considered the most exhaustive research on hydraulic fracturing.
Learn more: The Heartland Institute > Research & Commentary: Hydraulic Fracturing Does Not Pose a Serious Threat to Groundwater
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Shale FAQ
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.