Fracking Pros And Cons

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Hydraulic fracturing or fracking was developed around the 50’s in America but techniques used today are more recent due to advancement in technology. The process made extracting gas and oil trapped deep in underground a more viable option. Instead of trying to drill individual pockets of gas fracking uses liquid pressure. Directional drilling is used alongside hydraulic fracking to extract the resources. Once the drill reaches a layer of shale, the EPA states that a mixture of water, proppant, and chemical additives to use for liquid pressure. Once the shale is fractured the trapped gases come together and flows back, along with the mixture, through a wellbore. (EPA 2017) This technique allows companies to tap into reserves providing cheaper natural gas and oil. Companies are able to provide jobs for many people and reliance on imported …show more content…
A reported study from Stanford writer Mark Golden, states that though previous conventional drilling techniques use less water initially in mining natural gas. Fracking would use less water if not utilizing electricity from coal. Replacing coal as a way to power machinery with natural gas or nuclear power would effectively cut water consumption.(Golden 2014) The waste water that comes from the rigs also pose a threat to the environment. The waste water is often injected underground where it has been known to trigger seismic activity in the dig site and surrounding areas. The injection of the waste water causes stress and ruptures in faults deep underground. Waste water seeping upwards into aquifers is deemed as rare cases due to the techniques used by companies. Though the use of waste water for livestock and forestry creates problems due to the run offs entering aquifers. Certain loopholes in the Safe Drinking Water Act mean the EPA do not regulate fracking fluids so harmful chemicals are present in the waste waters. (Cho