Fracking, A Threat to our Countryside?
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a way of extracting gas or oil from the ground using a high-volume, high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals. It is a disruptive and dangerous process, which could damage local wildlife and contribute further to climate change through the release of greenhouse gases.
Planning for the future
Morecambe Bay and the Ribble Estuary are home to a rich diversity of wildlife. Grey seals, otters, deer, owls and a range of rare birds live here, alongside many more species. But these areas and their surroundings have been licensed for fracking by the UK government. Thousands of gallons of water and chemicals could be pumped right underneath this fragile habitat.
Water pollution
The chemicals involved in the fracking process pose a significant risk to the purity of local water resources, if they are not contained before and after usage. Any leaks into rivers and lakes could potentially poison the wildlife which needs that water to survive. In the US, where fracking has been widespread for a decade, there have been numerous cases of water contamination that has poisoned wildlife.
One of the worst examples of contamination occurred in Kentucky in 2007. Fracking wastewater stored in open pits overflowed in to the Acorn Fork Creek. The toxins, including hydrochloric acid, nearly wiped out an entire species of endangered fish - the Blackside Dace.
Water shortages
In the UK, our fish populations are already in decline, and fracking poses a further threat to fish stocks because of the volume of water it would remove from rivers and wetlands. In areas dense with wildlife that rely on local water, removing vast amounts can be catastrophic for the birds and mammals that thrive on our rivers and lakes, and the fish that live in them.
Shortfalls in regulating the industry
Loopholes in government regulation mean that our National Parks – and areas like Morecambe Bay and the Ribble Estuary – are not fully protected. Fracking firms can still drill under them. So it is entirely possible that areas like these could one day be surrounded by drilling rigs.
Concerns in the USA
The growing demands for energy in the U.S. have prompted both producers and government leaders to call for a diverse energy plan that includes resources such as solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, nuclear and natural gas. Natural gas extraction, in particular, has raised concerns because of the different chemical compounds that are involved in the process. These substances can negatively impact the air and water that surround natural gas extraction sites. The potential harm posed to nearby residents is an ongoing focus of scientific research.
One question pertaining to air and water pollution caused by natural gas extraction is whether adults exposed to the chemicals face a heightened risk of having children with birth defects, as published in the journal Reviews on Environmental Health.
How does natural gas extraction lead to pollution?
As part of the effort to diversify and expand the energy portfolio of the U.S., federal leaders have talked extensively about the potential value of shale, which is a type of rock that traps usable natural gas. Shale will become increasingly important to the natural gas production of the country during the next two decades. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, shale will account for half of the natural gas resources of the country by 2035.
One of the processes that can be used to extract natural gas from shale is an operation known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Companies that resort to fracking dig wells and crack rock open with the help of pressurized liquids, resulting in large volumes of wastewater. The potential for this wastewater to contaminate local bodies of water is just one reason why environmental scientists are concerned about fracking.
In addition to fracking, natural gas producers are resorting to other forms of drilling that are not standard vertical techniques to reach their sources. Directional drilling is a broad term used to describe processes that drill to offset targets. According to projects sponsored by the University of Arkansas and Argonne National Laboratory, directional drilling is supposed to be relatively environmentally friendly because it allows drilling companies to create wells that are not directly above their sources.
What does research say about the risks?
In the past, there have been several studies suggesting that pollution associated with unconventional oil and gas operations, which include fracking and directional drilling, pose harm to early human development. To get a better understanding of the situation, a team of scientists led by the University of Missouri reviewed more than 150 research papers pertaining to the health effects of chemical compounds in UOG operations. These studies included projects that explored air and water pollution.
"There are far fewer human studies than animal studies; however, taken together, the studies did show that humans can be harmed by these chemicals released from fracking," Susan Nagel, a researcher with the University of Missouri, said in a statement. "There is strong evidence of decreased semen quality in men, higher miscarriages in women and increased risk of birth defects in children. There is a striking need for continued research on UOG processes and chemicals and the health outcomes in people."
According to Nagel and her colleagues, about 15 million individuals in the U.S. live within one mile of a UOG site.
In November 2014, researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder published a study suggesting that the surfactants used in fracking liquids are no more harmful than other surfactants produced by ordinary household waste. However, the authors of this study cautioned that fracking companies often modify the formulas of their fracking liquids. Furthermore, the UCB study did not explore other environmental concerns, such as the impact on local seismology and the use of antimicrobial biocides. Research on the full effects of fracking and other UOG methods continues.
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