Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination in Texas
Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination In Texas
Alex Ramsey
Sonoma State University
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Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination in Texas 2
Title: Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination in Texas
Group: 7
Contributors: Alex Ramsey, Adriann Dizon, Justin Gruen, Emma Villa, Heather
Billeci, Amber Allen, Dane Shaffar, Callie Smith-everett, Patrick Cormier,
Steven Craft
Topic Statement: This explores the views that anthropologists, scientist and gas proponents have on effects that hydraulic fracturing has on the water, people and capital in the state of Texas.
Revised Description: In the United States there is a large advocacy for natural gas by both the public and private sectors. A major center for the drilling and discovery of natural gas has been the state of Texas, which private oil and gas companies have been flocking to in hopes of finding untapped land to drill on. The method that these companies use is a method called Hydraulic Fracturing. This is a process where a well is drilled into the ground and from there, large amounts of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are injected into the well by means of high pressure. The amount of pressure along with the substances used in the process fractures the shale and opens up fissures that allow gas to flow from the well. This method is widely controversial amongst the anthropologists, non-anthropological scientists and gas proponents who study the method and also amongst the public, who are affected by drilling. Anthropologists studying this form of drilling reveal the hegemony that the private gas companies have over the general public, through social control and loose regulation. They also see the effects that water contamination has on the public and the adaptation they must perform to survive.
Non-Anthropological Scientists reveal that Hydraulic Fracturing has been known to release harmful chemicals and wastes up into public water supplies. Methane,
VOC’s, Benzene, Formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals have been identified in water supplies around drilling sites. These chemicals, when exposed, cause physical and mental symptoms that can debilitate and even cause death. Individuals have recorded symptoms such as headaches, kidney problems, brain lesions and even accelerated death. The proponents of natural gas reveal that Hydraulic Fracturing is an important way for the United States to become less dependent on foreign oil and that it stimulates the economy by putting money and resources into the public’s hands. Private companies do this through royalty checks and building public centers around drilling sites, a form of social control that manipulates and pleases the people affected by the drilling. Economically, however, this form of drilling has strongly affected agriculture. Land that was once being cultivated has become contaminated and barren. Animals grazing near Hydraulic Fracturing wells have become sick and have even died. And in a world where population is growing and product demand becomes larger, this water contamination will continue to become severe and affect more people and communities. And as a nation who is so dependent on natural gas, these private drilling companies have been able perform
Hydraulic Fracturing with little regulation by the government, a perfect example of hegemony that the natural gas companies have even upon state government. In
Texas, there was a law passed stating that gas companies are required to release a list of chemicals used in the process of Hydraulic Fracturing to the public. However,

Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination in Texas 3 this does not mean they have to list the exact names of the chemicals, but can rather submit a name that is definable only to the natural gas company that submitted it.
Through this though, the EPA and the public are beginning to protest and raise concern about Hydraulic Fracturing and the loosely regulated companies. There is more protest, especially from the state of Texas becoming popular, yet private companies still continue to drill at an ever growing pace.
Abruzzi, W. (1985). Water and Community Development in the Little Colorado River
Basin. Human Ecology, 13(2), 241-269.
This article describes the negative effects that industrialization has on both water supplies and the communities being supplied in Southwest Arizona. As expansion occurs and small towns are being turned into industrial satellites for larger towns, watersheds such as the Little Colorado Basin that has water outlets composed of healthy freshwater are starting to become contaminated. For instance, Silver Creek, a water outlet that supplies water discharges has become contaminated by industries such as pulp mills. This affects the general population for the fact that as these cities are growing, more water will be needed. And the contamination only stifles growth because it ultimately leads to not enough water to be distributed for settlement. This helps our project by showing the costly and debilitating effects that water contamination has upon cities and populations, forcing adaptation of the public due to the drilling effects. (JG)
Friedman, J. (1992). The Past in the Future: History and the Politics of Identity.
American Anthropologist of the American Anthropology Association, 94,
837-859.
This article describes how Hydraulic Fracturing companies are using social control to complete the drilling. They are pumping chemicals such as Benzene and
Formaldehyde into the wells, which are leaking into the public’s water supplies. The problem with this is that these companies do not have to release the chemicals that are used in the Hydraulic Fracturing process to the public. Therefore, they are injecting these chemicals without the consent of the public. Likewise, the general public is not fighting back because of the contamination of their water, making them hegemonic under the gas companies due to the social control being enacted by these companies. This helps us with our project because it shows the many ways in which the public are being affected by hydraulic fracturing without directly knowing. For instance, hegemony is being applied by these private companies on both the public sector and the government so that these companies have to report as little as possible. (EV)
Pimentel, D., Cooperstein, H., Filiberto. S., Sorrentino, B., Kaye, C., Nicklin, J., Yagi, J.,
O’Hern, A., Habas and C. Weinstein. (2007). Ecology of Increasing Diseases:
Population Growth and Environmental Degradation. Human Ecology, 35(6),
653-668.

Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination in Texas 4
This article describes the effects that environmental and water contamination will have on an ever-growing population. Currently waterborne contamination results in
80% of infections worldwide and 90% of infections in developing countries. 40% of known death results from environmental pollution and water contamination. And as the population grows larger, with an estimated 13 billion people by 2065, the severity and presence of water contamination will only grow and affect more people as populations grow and cities become more industrialized. Likewise, people will have to adapt to new ways of living once contamination is in the majority of water supplies, destroying economies such as agriculture. This article helps our project by showing the grizzly effects that water contamination has on human health and production and also the adaptation that society will grow through when the contamination hits a certain level. (HB)
Miksic, J. N. (1999). Water, Urbanization and Disease in Ancient Indonesia.
Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association, 9(2),
167-184.
This article discusses the reasons why Hydraulic Fracturing wells are being erected in certain tropical and non-tropical areas. In these certain areas, Hydraulic
Fracturing was implemented so that these civilizations could begin urbanization.
However, as soon as these wells were built, people began noticing diseases in their water supplies, which would therefore make their water contaminated. This helps our project because it states accounts of people that have witnessed the collapse of their water infrastructure due to the implementation of Hydraulic Fracturing into their ecosystems, which is a form of industrial stratification upon the rural people of the area. (AA)
Rogers, J. (2012). The Materiality of the corporation: Oil, gas and corporate social technologies in the remaking of a Russian region. American Ethnologist,
39(2), 284-296.
This article describes the ways in which Gas Companies are compensating villages and towns for using their land as drilling sites. It states that a private oil company in
Russia named Lukoil-Perm has provided and distributed funds into a local village they were drilling near. The company did this by remodeling a library and starting a folks craft center for the people in the village. This helps our project by showing how this company in Russia is similar in its use of compensation to those companies in Texas who are compensating due to water contamination in the water supplies around the drilling site, which is a form of social control enacted by the drilling companies, which ultimately leads to hegemony. (AR)
Brown, V.J. (2007). Industry Issues, Putting the Heat on Gas. Environmental Health
Perspectives, 115(2), 76.
This article introduces a term called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s). These compounds are emitted through the process of Hydraulic Fracturing. VOC’s are also

Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination in Texas 5 emitted through the use of Hydraulic Fracturing equipment such as the compressors used. And through Hydraulic Fracturing, these VOC’s can leak into aquifers and drinking wells, where they have been known to cause symptoms such as headaches, loss of coordination and damage to the liver and kidneys as a result of being consumed through drinking water. This article helps our project by identifying and understanding these chemicals that are released and the effects they have on the human population. (AR)
Colborn, T., Kwiatkowski, C., Schultz, K., Bachran, M. (2011). Natural Gas
Operations from a Public Health Perspective. Human & Ecological Risk
Assessment, 17(5), 1039-1056.
Research was conducted by the Chemical Abstract Service on the toxic chemicals used in Hydraulic Fracturing. The results indicated that many of these chemicals used during the drilling and fracturing phases of Hydraulic Fracturing have longterm health effects that are not immediately expressed. This will help us with our project in understanding the undisclosed types and amounts of toxic chemicals released during the process of Hydraulic Fracturing. (PC)
Finewood, H.M., Stroup, J.L.2012), Fracking and the Neoliberalization of the
Hydro-Social Cycle in Peenslvania’s Marcellus Shale. Journal of
Contemporary Water Research and Education, 147, 72-79.
This article talks about the hydro-social cycle, which is the link between water and the society that is dependent on the water. It states the reactions of the proponents of Hydraulic Fracturing to the oil and gas companies manipulating the hydro-social cycle through their contamination of drinking water with toxic chemicals through the Hydraulic Fracturing process. These proponents have used neoliberalism to try to define and manipulate the public perception of Hydraulic Fracturing by turning water into an economic input so that the water contamination can be seen as a greater good to the nation in terms of the need of natural gas. These proponents state that shale gas will curtail the need of foreign oil and ultimately lead to energy independence and security. This will help our project because it shows how the energy coalition is manipulating people’s perceptions of Hydraulic Fracturing and getting the public to undermine the fact that Hydraulic Fracturing is tampering with their own water supply. (SC)
Manuel, J. (2010). EPA Tackles Fracking. Environmental Health Perspective,
118(5), 199.
This article identifies both arguments of the case for being pro or anti-Hydraulic
Fracturing. The proponents of Hydraulic Fracturing such as Fueling America’s
Energy Future and Energy In Depth argue that Hydraulic Fracturing leads to energy independence and a focus on cleaner fuels. The opponents such as the EPA argue for the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act to pass, which would be a way for Hydraulic Fracturing companies to disclose chemicals and safeguard

Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination in Texas 6 water. This benefits our project by providing insight into the two different arguments presented and how each would impact both the environment and water supplies. (SC)
Saldana, T.M. (2005). The Rio Grande-Rio Bravo Basin: Water Cultures and Water
Systems In a Fragile Eco-zone. University of New Mexico Press, 8(2), 9-13.
This articles focuses on how the new environmental problems along the Rio Bravo
Basin, which borders Western Texas, are impacting the social organization of
Western Texas. This ultimately rose as a result of the basin and irrigation system. It describes the problems the people are facing in Western Texas and also how they must now adapt to a new way of life the contamination has forced them to do, This benefits our project because it shows how water contamination can effect both social organization and human lifestyles. (CSE)
Weinhold, B. (2012). The Future of Fracking: New Rules Target Air Emission for
Cleaner Natural Gas Production. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(7),
272-279.
This article describes the new regulations aimed at Hydraulic Fracturing companies.
These new regulations encourage the Hydraulic Fracturing companies to invest in equipment known collectively as, “Green Completion.” This equipment helps reduce the diffusion of mixed substances and oils and at the same time still drills out the full amount of natural gas. This equipment is aimed mainly at keeping pollution to a minimum. This benefits our project because it describes what is in the future for
Hydraulic Fracturing companies in producing a cleaner, healthier process to extract natural gas. (AD)
Ben, E., Hass, B., Kuntz, P., (2012, November 30). Fracking Secrets by Thousands
Keep U.S. Clueless on Wells. Bloomberg News. Retrieved from http://www .
Bloombergnews.com/
This article describes how a subsidiary company of the private gas company Nabors
Industries pumped a chemical composition known as EXP-F0173-11into a halfdozen oil wells in Karnes County, Texas. The problem with this is that even though it meets requirement of the law adopted by Texas approximately one year ago that makes drillers disclose chemical they pump underground during hydraulic fracturing, it does not specify what is exactly in the composition. The problem with this law is that there it does account for the transparency that the gas companies can get away with. For instance, one ingredient, which is an unidentified solvent, can damage the kidneys and liver if ingested or consumed. But only people working for the private company would understand what this solvent or any other chemicals are due to the pigeonholed law that was passed. This is helpful to our project because it shows how gas companies are performing social control through their advocacy of loose regulations, which typically pass. (DS)

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Biello, D. (2011, May 9). Hydraulic Fracturing for Natural Gas Pollutes Water Wells.
Scientific American. Retrieved from http://scientific american.com/
This article describes a study conducted by Duke University on Hydraulic Fracturing and the effects that it is having on private drinking water wells. The study found that methane was present in a majority of the wells, which significantly contaminates water supplies. According to the article, this was the first time that drinking water contamination has been definitely linked to hydraulic fracturing. This helps our project by providing evidence that hydraulic fracturing in this case actually contaminated water. (AA)
Royle, E. (2012, November 29). Livstock falling ill in fracking regions. Msnbc.
Retrieved from http://www.msnbc,com/
This article describes the occurrence of cattle falling and sick dying on farms near oil and gas drilling sites. Hydraulic Fracturing is the target as to why to these animals are degrading in health and ultimately dying. Testing of a Hydraulic Fracturing well reported high levels of sulfates, chromium, chloride and strontium. These chemicals have been known to contaminate water and health hazards to both humans and animals (livestock). In the midst of all of this, neither scientists nor farmers have been able to fully document the problem. Gas companies are exempt from disclosing the actual names of the chemicals being used in the process. Scientists do not have proper funds to conduct an investigation on the matter and farmers are afraid to speak up due to receiving royalty checks by private gas companies to use their land for drilling. This helps our project because it shows how Hydraulic Fracturing is affecting health standards without facing strong opposition due to social control.
(JG)