Companies like Halliburton and EnCana Oil & Gas take advantage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 because this bill exempts fluids used in hydraulic fracturing from policies like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. It wasn't until last year, after the documentary was released that Congress proposed the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act to make it so these companies disclose the types of chemicals they use for these processes.
Unfortunately, one year later Congress still has not passed the bill. I wonder if it is for political reasons (We are in an election year and gas companies are major lobbyists and campaign contributors on the hill). So what are the repercussions to "fracking?" Well for starters fracking leaves detrimental effects on drinking water. Gas companies request to lease the land of private citizens to drill for gas in exchange for a nice check to landowners. What they do not know is after they agree to that, their health will start to deteriorate.
Gas companies say it is safe to drink from the tap, but it is not. After they agree to lease their land, the water becomes contaminated. In the film, they show some families whose water had become flammable. And if it isn't the water that leaves, lasting neurological and physical effects, (i.e headaches, brain damage, fatigue, cancer) it is the air pollution that surrounds fracking sites. After extraction, they have something called "produced water" that is whatever is left after the fracking process. Typically the companies let the water to evaporate if they do not put it in streams or rivers. After a while the water does evaporate, but it ruins the quality of the air because it emits tons of gases like methane and such into the air. This can then create acid rain which can affect vegetation.
I just found this documentary shocking and inhumane as it looked into some eyebrows it raised because the government is not fully protecting its citizens. Certain policy changes can and should be enacted to change this. I find it mortifying that thousands of Americans have to live like this. The whole video is on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E61okw2RlzE
Sounds like a pretty depressing/interesting documentary. I have heard about this documentary, and it sounds very informative on this controversial process. I think the key to this issue is striking a balance of having businesses be successful and keeping the environment safe and sustainable. This is certainly an issue that needs to be debated and studied more.
ReplyDeleteI actually did a whole presentation on Petroleum Geology and Engineering to the Deans of the College Earth and Mineral Science. It is hard because the amount that people pay for oil is outrageous. The government is trying to take the burden out of people's pockets and try a more natural approach in gathering oil. However, they do not really pay attention to the negative effects of hydrolic fracturing. Because a lot of people do not complain about these negative effects, I think the government bypasses them as a whole.
ReplyDeleteOMG! I saw this documentary in my Earth 100 class and I thought it was an awesome portrayal of how serious fracking can be. It's kind of upsetting how much the government is willing to jeapordize our health in order to obtain gas. I remember this one part in the movie where this couple was able to set there water on fire because of the amounts of chemicials in it... but the health dept of the state deemed their water "safe." It was crazy.
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