Transcript Does fracking cause health impacts that are worse than

DOES FRACKING CAUSE HEALTH
IMPACTS?
JUSTIN TAYLOR, KERLA MEJIA, MARIA CHIELLI
WHAT IS FRACKING?
• "HYDRAULIC FRACTURING” INVOLVES THE SMASHING OF ROCK WITH MILLIONS OF GALLONS
OF WATER–ALONG WITH SAND AND A UNDISCLOSED ASSORTMENT OF CHEMICALS IN ORDER
TO BRING GAS TO THE SURFACE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY INACCESSIBLE
• CONTROVERSIAL OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION TECHNIQUE
• FRACKING IS NOT RARE!
• DEVELOPED IN LATE 1940’S
• THE 2005 ENERGY POLICY
HOW FRACKING WORKS
• VERTICAL WELL BORES ARE DRILLED THOUSANDS OF FEET INTO THE EARTH
• DRILLING THEN ANGLED HORIZONTALLY
• CEMENT CASING INSTALLED
• MASSIVE VOLUME OF WATER, FRACKING FLUID, CHEMICALS, AND SAND USED
• “FLOWBACK” WATER RETURNS TO THE SURFACE
HOW FRACKING WORKS (CONT.)
• SMALL EXPLOSIVES ARE USED TO OPEN UP THE BEDROCK
• THE FRACTURES ALLOW THE GAS AND OIL TO BE REMOVED FROM THE FORMERLY IMPERVIOUS
ROCK FORMATIONS
• SITE ABANDONED AFTER THE WELL DOESN’T
PRODUCE A LOT OF MONEY
STATES THAT ARE PARTAKING
FRACKING IS ALREADY WIDESPREAD IN:
•WYOMING
•COLORADO
•TEXAS
•PENNSYLVANIA
•OHIO
•NEW YORK ???
•*NEW JERSEY BANNED FRACKING*
BENEFITS OF FRACKING
• SMALLER FOOTPRINT: LESS SURFACE DAMAGE ON
THE ENVIRONMENT
• EASIER TO RETRIEVE THAN OTHER SOURCES OF
ENGERY
• RELIEVES THE NEED FOR IMPORTING ENERGY
• JOB CREATION
• 30% OF ELECTRICITY GENERATION WILL BE FROM
NATURAL GAS BY 2040
RISKS AND CONCERNS
• CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER
• METHANE POLLUTANTS & ITS IMPACTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE
• AIR POLLUTANT IMPACTS
• LARGE VOLUME WATER USE IN WATER-DEFICIENT REGIONS
• FRACKING-INDUCED EARTHQUAKES
• EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS
• BLOWOUTS DUE TO GAS EXPLOSION
• WASTE DISPOSAL
• WORKPLACE SAFETY
• INFRASTRUCTURE DEGRADATION
HOW DOES FRACKING COMPARE TO OTHER ENERGY
SOURCES?
IMPACTS OF WATER QUALITY
• EACH WELL CAN REQUIRE UP TO 6 MILLION GALLONS
OF WATER, AND UP TO 40,000 GALLONS OF
CHEMICALS
• WELL SITE MAY NEED UP TO 2000 TANKER TRUCK
TRIPS, PER FRACK
• A WELL CAN BE FRACKED UP TO 20 TIMES
• STORAGE FOR THE WASTE WATER CAN TAKE PLACE
EITHER ON SITE, IN AN INJECTION WELL, OR IN OPEN
AIR PONDS IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS
• TRANSPORT OF THE WASTE POSES A
CONTAMINATION RISK OUTSIDE THE ACTUAL WELL
LOCATION
WATER POLLUTION
• CHEMICAL ADDITIVES ARE USED IN THE DRILLING MUD, SLURRIES AND FLUIDS REQUIRED
FOR THE FRACKING PROCESS
• THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) AND UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL
SURVEY (USGS)
• EPA MAKES COMPANIES PAY FOR EXPENDITURES
• EPA FORCES OIL COMPANIES TO PAY FOR WATER EXPENDITURES DURING DRILLING
CONTAMINATION
• THE OIL COMPANIES APPEALED THE EPA ORDER, BUT WERE FORCED TO RECTIFY THEIR
VIOLATIONS BY A FEDERAL JUDGE
SOLUTIONS TO WATER QUALITY & POLLUTION
• RECYCLING
-DECREASES THE DEMAND OF FRESH WATER
-DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF WASTE WATER
• USE PROPANE GEL INSTEAD OF WATER
-NATURAL GAS LIQUID
-VAPORIZES UNDER PRESSURE
-CAN BE RECAPTURED AND REUSED AFTER IS
VAPORIZES
AIR POLLUTION
• METHANE IS MORE POTENT THAN CARBON DIOXIDE
• GAS WELL EMISSIONS EQUAL 1-3 MILLION CAR EMISSIONS
• WYOMING OZONE LEVELS RECORDED AT 124 PPB OF OZONE LEVELS
• WORST AIR DAY OF THE YEAR FOR LOS ANGELES AT 114 PPB OF OZONE LEVELS
• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S MAXIMUM HEALTHY LIMIT IS 75 PPB
• CRYSTALLINE SILICA IS A HAP AND A CARCINOGEN WHICH CAN CAUSE SILICOSIS
-SAND IS A MAIN INGREDIENT USED IN THE FRACKING PROCESS
• THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY (NIOS): COLLECTED 11 AIR
SAMPLES
AIR POLLUTION IMPROVEMENTS
• FLARING
-90% DECREASE IN GHG EMISSIONS
-CARBON DIOXIDE IS PRODUCED AS AN EFFECT
-COMBUSTION EMISSIONS ARE PRODUCED AS AN EFFECT
• REDUCED EMISSIONS COMPLETIONS (REC)
-LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF GHG EMISSIONS
-NO DISADVANTAGES
-COST EFFECTIVE
INDUCED SEISMICITY
EARTHQUAKES
• NUMBER OF EARTHQUAKES INCREASED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WITHIN CENTRAL
AND EASTERN UNITED STATES
• NEARLY 450 EARTHQUAKES MAGNITUDE 3.0 AND LARGER OCCURRED IN THE FOUR YEARS FROM
2010-2013
• OVER 100 PER YEAR ON AVERAGE, COMPARED WITH AN AVERAGE RATE OF 20 EARTHQUAKES PER
YEAR OBSERVED FROM 1970-2000
• EARTHQUAKES CONSTITUTE ANOTHER PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH DEEP-WELL OIL AND GAS DRILLING.
• SCIENTISTS REFER TO THE EARTHQUAKES CAUSED BY THE INJECTION OF FRACKING WASTEWATER
UNDERGROUND AS “INDUCED SEISMIC EVENTS”
SOLUTION TO INDUCED SEISMICITY
• THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES CONCLUDED IN A STUDY THAT:
“A PROPERLY LOCATED INJECTION WELL WILL NOT CAUSE EARTHQUAKES”
• IN ORDER FOR EARTHQUAKES TO OCCUR:
-A FAULT MUST EXIST NEARBY
-INJECTION WELL MUST HAVE A PATH OF COMMUNICATION TO THE FAULT
• RESEARCH THE LOCATION OF FUTURE PROPSED INJECTION WELLS BEFORE CONSTRUCTION
LEGISLATION IN THE UNITED STATES
FEDERAL REGULATIONS
•ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005
•SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT
•TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT
•CLEAN AIR ACT
PENNSYLVANIA STATE REGULATIONS
•ACT 13: ADDED MORE REGULATIONS FOR UNG
•CHAPTER 78: PERMIT/APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
•CHAPTER 78: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING
REQUIREMENTS
•CHAPTER 79: WELL DRILLING AND USAGE
•CHAPTER 95: WASTEWATER TREATMENT REQUIREMENTS
ANTI-FRACKING OPINION
• CHEMICALS USED IN FRACKING DISRUPT HUMAN BODY’S REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES AND
HORMONE RECEPTORS
• BACTERIA BREATHE IN IRON IN SOIL FROM FRACKING AND RELEASE ARSENIC THAT IS WATER
SOLUBLE
• NOT ENOUGH REGULATION OF COMPANIES
ANTI-FRACKING
OPINION
•
72 TRILLION GALLONS OF WATER USED
IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE
•
360 BILLION GALLONS OF NONBIODEGRADABLE CHEMICALS TO
OPERATE WELLS
•
METHANE CONCENTRATIONS ARE 17
TIMES HIGHER IN DRINKING WATER OF
WELLS NEAR FRACKING SITES
“FRACCIDENTS” IN PENNSYLVANIA
• JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, 2007- GAS WELL EXPLODED KILLING ONE WORKER AND INJURING OTHERS
• ASYLUM TOWNSHIP, 2010- IMPOUNDMENT FILLED WITH WASTEWATER EXPLODED
• PINE CREEK TOWNSHIP, 2009- 295 GALLONS OF HYDROCHLORIC ACID SPILLED
• GRANVILLE TOWNSHIP, 2009- 420 GALLONS OF HYDROCHLORIC ACID SPILLED
• DAYTON, 2009- RESIDENTS EVACUATED AFTER A HEAVY LEAK IN METHANE
• INDIANA TOWNSHIP, 2010- GAS WELL EXPLODED KILLING TWO WORKERS
• HOPEWELL, 2010- 7 TONS OF WASTE SPILLED ON ROUTE 220
• WARD TOWNSHIP, 2011- WELL BLOWOUT OCCURRED AND CONTAMINATED STATE PARK
• DIMOCK, PA- LEAKS OF ABOUT 8000 GALLONS OF DANGEROUS FLUIDS, NEARBY CREEK
CONTAMINATED, RESIDENTS SICKENED FROM WATER, WATER WELL MYSTERIOUSLY EXPLODED, PETS
AND HORSES IN AREA EXPERIENCED HAIR LOSS
COMMENTS/OPINIONS ON FRACKING
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MORE STUDIES NEEDED
BETTER COMMUNICATION NEEDED
IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
WE NEED ENERGY SOURCES BUT HEALTH IS A PRIORITY
“WITH ADEQUATE SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE, SHALE GAS
CAN BE EXPLOITED RESPONSIBILY IN WAYS THAT
PROTECT BOTH THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN
HEALTH.” –US DEPT OF ENERGY
WORKS CITED
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HTTP://WWW.SCIENTIFICAMERICAN.COM/ARTICLE/SAFETY-FIRST-FRACKING-SECOND/
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HTTP://SERC.CARLETON.EDU/NAGTWORKSHOPS/HEALTH/CASE_STUDIES/HYDROFRACKING_W.HTML
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HTTP://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2011/02/27/US/27GAS.HTML?_R=0
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HTTP://STATEIMPACT.NPR.ORG/PENNSYLVANIA/2014/09/15/STUDY-FINDS-FLAWED-WELL-CASINGS-NOT-FRACKING-CAUSED-TAINTED-WATER/
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HTTP://WWW.USGS.GOV/BLOGS/FEATURES/USGS_TOP_STORY/MAN-MADE-EARTHQUAKES/
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HTTP://WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM/SCIENCE/ENERGY/COAL-OIL-GAS/TOP-10-MYTHS-ABOUT-NATURAL-GAS-DRILLING-6386593#SLIDE-1
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HTTP://WWW.MDE.STATE.MD.US/PROGRAMS/LAND/MINING/MARCELLUS/PAGES/MSREPORTPARTII_PUBLICCOMMENTS.ASPX
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WWW.EARTHJUSTICE.ORG
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HTTPS://WWW.ENDOCRINE.ORG/NEWS-ROOM/CURRENT-PRESS-RELEASES/HORMONE-DISRUPTING-ACTIVITY-OF-FRACKING-CHEMICALS-WORSE-THANINITIALLY-FOUND
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HTTP://WWW.PRI.ORG/STORIES/2014-11-18/FRACKING-BOOMS-WASTE-SPILLS-RISE-AND-SO-DO-ARSENIC-LEVELS-GROUNDWATER
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HTTP://THINKPROGRESS.ORG/CLIMATE/2014/03/25/3418498/FRACKING-SAFETY-US-UK/
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HTTP://WWW.DANGERSOFFRACKING.COM
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, “HYDRAULIC FRACTURING AND SHALE GAS PRODUCTION: TECHNOLOGY, IMPACTS AND REGULATIONS”
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PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: LAWS, REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES