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HYDRAULIC FRACTURING: THE RISKS TO THE WATER SUPPLY
VERSUS THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Adam White (apw43@pitt.edu)
INTRODUCTION: HYDRAULIC
FRACTURING: MEETING ENERGY NEEDS
WHILE PROTECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT
The process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has been
around since 1940, but has not come into controversy until
recent years. This method is used to obtain fuel deposits that
are located in coal or shale beds that were otherwise thought
to be unobtainable. In response to the recent energy crisis,
more companies are using the practice of fracking in order to
access these fuel deposits and this has led to a concern about
the impact of fracking on the environment. Three of the major
public concerns with fracking are: water consumption; water
contamination, which poses health concerns to those who use
well water; and the mishandling of waste. Although the
environmental concerns are valid, I believe that, as engineers
continue to make improvements to this technology, fracking
can help to alleviate the energy crisis while protecting the
environment. This is an important topic to me since I live in
the Marcellus Shale region and have three wells within a
twelve-mile radius of my home and want to make sure that
my health is not impacted by them.
THE PROCESS OF HYDRAULIC
FRACTURING
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process by which
natural gas is extracted from subsurface formations. This
process involves drilling vertically in order to reach deposits
of natural gas [1]. When shale is encountered, water infused
with chemicals and sand is forced beneath the rock under high
pressure to help crack the rock, resulting in the release of the
gas [2]. The sand and chemicals keep the cracks from
reclosing after the pressure is released. The gas is then
recovered in production wells [1]. Improvements in
technology that occurred in the 1990’s has resulted in the
development of a drill that can turn 90 degrees and continue
to drill horizontally. This drill may continue for thousands of
feet, resulting in the release of layers of trapped gas. These
wells can extend vertically up to 12,000 feet and horizontally
for up to 4,500 feet. This process may require up to 8 million
gallons of water and 75,000 to 320,000 pounds of sand per
well [2]. Fracking is practiced all over the world in an attempt
to reach these pockets of natural gas. Today, more than one
million producing wells exist world-wide which is resulting
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
Date of submission 2013-10-01
in a growing concern by water conservationists and the
general public over the use of the earth’s freshwater supply
by fracking companies [3].
WATER CONSUMPTION OF HYDRAULIC
FRACTURING
With the increased demand in water consumption for
these wells, water conservationists along with people in the
general public worry that the world’s water supply will
become diminished. The amount of fresh water on the Earth
has stayed relatively unchanged since the time of the
dinosaurs. Roughly 2.5% of all water on the Earth is
considered freshwater and of this 2.5% only 1% of all water
is available for human consumption [1]. The process of
fracking requires large amounts of water, which then mix with
the fracking chemicals. The water that is recovered from
underground is considered contaminated and not able to
return to the natural water supply, so it is held in large
recovery tanks. Worldwide, there are already more than a
billion people who lack access to fresh water [1]. People are
concerned that, with the increase in fracking, this number will
increase drastically as this process leaves people without the
necessary water to survive. In response to this concern,
engineers are looking at reusing wastewater. On-site
treatment systems can effectively clean waste water. This new
technology has already proven that 70% to 80% of the initial
water may be recycled and immediately reused [3]. As
technology continues to improve and recycling becomes more
efficient, the amount of new water used by fracking will be
greatly reduced, alleviating this concern.
WATER CONTAMINATION FROM
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
In addition to the concern for water depletion, is the
concern that fracking is resulting in contamination of the
water tables. Since the water is forced deep into the earth,
there is concern about the contamination of drinking water,
especially for people who rely on well water. Although
between 9% and 35% of the fracking fluid is returned with the
process, the rest remains deep within the earth’s surface and
may migrate into surrounding water supplies, resulting in
contamination of the drinking supply [1]. Not only is the
water contaminated with the chemicals added during the
fracking process, but the water may pick up other
contaminates such as salts and radionuclides from the earth.
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The fracking process can also release methane, which is
associated with natural gas. When this gas is contained in
shale, it is controlled by temperature, pressure, and the salt
that is contained in the deposit; therefore, contamination of
surrounding ground water is usually minimal. When the shale
is fractured by fracking, the gas is free to move into
surrounding water, thereby deteriorating the quality of the
water due to discoloration and turbidity from micro-bubbles
or particulate suspension [4]. For this reason, it is important
that methane gas is controlled during the fracking process.
Another concern is the contamination of surface water. Water
that is returned to the surface is contained in lined pits or tanks
in order to protect the surrounding soil and groundwater. This
has become one of the biggest areas of contention in the
fracking process. “In February 2012, the Energy Institute at
The University of Texas in Austin released a study finding
that overall, surface spills of fracturing fluids pose greater
risks to groundwater sources than hydraulic fracturing itself”
[3]. The university researched fracking in Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, New York, Louisiana, and Texas and determined
that most problems associated with fracking were due to
casing failures or poor cement jobs in the holding tanks. They
further concluded that any reports of contamination were due
to ground spills or other mishandling of wastewater not to the
fracking process. As a matter of fact they found no confirmed
cases of drinking water contamination from fracking [3]. One
of the first areas to report contaminated water from fracking
was Dimock, Pennsylvania. The EPA took samples of water
from 61 houses and determined in a report released on May
11, 2012 that the drinking water was safe [1]. People need to
be aware that although a small number of additives contained
in fracturing fluids can cause negative health effects, many of
the additives such as potassium chloride, sodium chloride,
and diluted acids pose a very low risk to humans and the
environment. Engineers need to continue their work on
improving the containment systems used by fracking
companies in order to prevent future spills. This, along with
their continued work on recycling, will make fracking not
only safe, but help the economy by providing a safe answer to
the energy crisis.
fracking can make $70,000 in five months while their
supervisors earn up to $320,000 a year. Landowners are
benefitting as well. Landowners in the Bakken shale area of
North Dakota who lease their land for fracking receive an
initial payment of 1 million dollars and $500,000 a year in
royalties. The increased production of natural gas also results
in benefits for all Americans in the form of lower heating and
electric bills. In addition, some companies that moved out of
the United States are starting to return with the increased
availability of cheaper natural gas, which then provides more
jobs for people in industry [5]. With the increased tensions in
the Middle East, the availability for the United States to
provide its own energy is very important. The increase in
fracking has resulted in an increased supply of natural gas in
North America. About one quarter of the energy used in the
United States is now gas-fired with approximately 90%
coming from production of gas right here in the United States
and 10% coming from Canadian fields [4]. Some people
consider natural gas to be the perfect bridge fuel since it is a
low carbon-emitting fossil fuel making it more “green” for the
environment than coal. It is found in the United States, so it
can replace foreign oil, it can help to meet the growing energy
demands, and help to improve local economic development
[6].
CONCLUSION: ECONOMIC BENEFITS
OUTWEIGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
Although hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has been
around since 1940, it has recently caused much concern
among people due to the fear of excess water consumption;
water contamination, which poses health concerns; and the
mishandling of waste material. I believe that this paper has
shown that, even though the fracking process is using large
amounts of water, engineers are working diligently on ways
to recycle this water for reuse and to make it safe for the
environment. Many of the chemicals used in the fracking
process are not a health concern for humans and fresh
drinking water will still be readily available to people.
Engineers need to continue their work on building safe
containment units for the contaminated water in order to
prevent future spills, which could impact the environment. I
have not noticed any changes in the environment near my
home since the Marcellus Shale wells have been built. Many
people in my neighborhood still have wells for drinking water
and they remain contamination free. The gas wells are
providing an economic boost to the region as seen by the
royalties that people are receiving as well as numerous
classmates who were able to get good paying jobs with the
company right after high school. I believe that the fracking
will continue to provide a cleaner energy alternative to coal,
reduce our demand on foreign oil, and spur the economy all
without causing excessive harm to the environment.
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HYDRAULIC
FRACTURING
The expansion of fracking means more jobs for people. In
President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union address, he
estimated that 600,000 additional jobs would be created due
to fracking [5]. “The IHS Global Insight, which provides
economic forecasts, analysis, and data for the United States
and worldwide, estimated that natural gas from shale could
create 870,000 jobs in the United States and add $118 billion
to the national economy over the next four years and will
contribute $933 billion in taxes over the next twenty-five
years” [3]. Not only is there an increase in the number of jobs,
but in good paying jobs as well. It is reported that workers in
North Dakota employed by natural gas companies using
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REFERENCES
[1] C. Andrews and J. Bandyopadhyay, “Water Resources:
Reporting and Contingency Disclosure,” Competition Forum,
vol.
10,
no.1,
[Online],
Available:
http://remote.ecobit.iup.edu/asc/public_html/default.php?pag
e=jounals_cf/. [Accessed Sept. 20, 2013].
[2] K. Robbins, “Awakening the Slumber Giant: How
Horizontal Drilling Technology Brought the Endangered
Species Act to Bear on Hydraulic Fracturing,” Case Western
Reserve Law Review, vol. 63, no. 4, [Online], Available:
http://law.case.edu/student_life/journals/law_review/.
[Accessed Sept. 20, 2013]
[3] N. Atkinson and K. King, “Flooding and Fracking: A
Review of Extreme Weather Impacts on Drilling Activities,”
Natural Resources & Environment, vol. 27, no. 2, [Online],
Available:
http://www.abanet.org.pitt.idm.oclc.org/.
[Accessed Sept. 20, 2013]
[4] R. Jackson, A. Gorody, B. Mayer, J. Roy, M. Ryan, and
D. Van Stempvoort, “Groundwater Protection and
Unconventional Gas Extraction: The Critical Need for FieldBased Hydrogeological Research,” Groundwater, vol. 51,
no.4,
[Online],
Available:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.pitt.idm.oclc.org/doi/10.1111/
gwat.12074/full/. [Accessed Sept. 20, 2013]
[5] T. Merrill, “Four Questions About Fracking,” Case
Western Reserve Law Review, vol. 63, no. 4, [Online],
Available:
http://law.case.edu/student_life/jounals/law_review/.
[Accessed Sept. 20, 2013]
[6] M. Finewood and L. Stroup, “Fracking and the
Neoliberalization of the Hydro-Social Cycle in
Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale,” Journal of Contemporary
Water Research & Education,” vol. 147, no.. 1, [Online],
Available:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.pitt.idm.oclc.org/doi/10.111/j.
1936-704.2012.03104.x/full/ [Accessed Sept. 20, 2013]
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would like to thank the librarian at the Swanson School
of Engineering library for her help in obtaining the necessary
resources to complete my research paper. She was able to
show me that my initial topic was not viable since we could
not find enough scholarly articles. I was then able to pick a
new topic that had the necessary resources available to
complete my paper. I would also like to thank Mr. McMillan
for taking the time to speak to my class and present us with
valuable information before starting this assignment.
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