Hydraulic Fracturing Essay

1318 Words6 Pages
Hydraulic Fracturing By Robert LaRosa DeVry University 10/10/2013 Content Page: 1. Hydraulic Fracturing and Legal Issues 2. Regulations on Hydraulic Fracturing 3. Is Hydraulic Drilling A Benefit? 4. Conclusion Hydraulic Fracturing and Legal Issues When Hydraulic fracturing occurs oil and fluids are pushed to the top of the earth, and into the air. Some of these oils and fluids may include toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. There are cases that have been documented that include public health impacts due to Hydraulic fracturing. Also drillers are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, or the Clean Air Act. Hydraulic fracturing may contaminate large bodies of water. This water may be used for drinking, bathing, cooking, and other uses that are environmentally. This may cause legal issues to rise because it damages the environment. Companies may try to make a legal issue out of Hydraulic fracturing as well as the general public. If large bodies of water are polluted by fracturing it could cause harm to the marine life. Also if drinking water is polluted by fracturing it could cause the general public health problems. Fracturing may cause pollution within the air, which in turn causes problems within the Ozone Layer. Water is brought to the fracturing site and mixed with sand and chemicals to create over 40,000 gallons of chemicals. There are many chemicals used during fracturing such as lead, mercury, and methanol along with many more. The chemicals are then shot down over 10,000 feet into the earth causing the shale rocks to fracture releasing natural gas into the wells. When this is done is causes toxins to be released into the ground water causing pollution. This is the same ground water that may be used for drinking water. There have also been over 1,000 cases documented of contaminated water near drilling sites. These toxins
Open Document