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The last major review of fracking was conducted by the EPA in 2016. The evidence, however, does not back this up. The industry’s argument is that fracking fluids are handled in a safe manner, are recovered as much as possible, and are dispersed so deep underground that they couldn’t possible leach into groundwater, which is typically closer to the surface than oil and gas deposits. And, of course, fracking fluids have potential effects on wildlife as well. These include arsenic, formaldehyde, mercury, and other substances that have been linked to reproductive and developmental health issues, that may cause cancer, or that have unknown effects on human health. The most up-to-date review of these chemicals, conducted by the EPA between 20, identified 1,084 different kinds of chemicals used in fracking operations, though a single operation is likely to only use between 4 and 28. It may not seem like much, but the vast quantities of fluid required for a fracking operation means that between 80 and 330 tons of chemicals are used each time. This component is a mix of chemicals used for a variety of purposes in the fluid. That last 0.5 percent of material is what’s worrisome. Another 9.5 percent consists of sand or a similar material called a proppant, which fills the fractures and holds them open against the weight of the earth. The biggest component of fracking fluid is water, at about 90 percent. The trouble is, fracking fluid is composed of some truly nasty stuff, and a single operation can use several million gallons of it. These cracks expedite the flow of oil and gas to nearby wells, enabling the collection of more resources than would otherwise be possible. High-pressure fracking fluid is shot through the pipe, splitting off along the perforations and cracking the surrounding rock.
FRACKING POLITICS DEFINITION FULL
This hole is fitted with a steel pipe full of strategically placed perforations. Modern fracking also involves horizontal drilling, which reduces the need for multiple vertical holes since one horizontal borehole can access more material. It’s especially used in places where the gas is widely dispersed, such as in shale or tight sands.įracking companies drill a deep hole in the earth, up to 20,000 feet deep. The purpose of fracking is to increase the rate at which oil and gas flows to wells, and often, it’s the only economical way of obtaining oil and gas reserves. Photo credit: Spencer Platt / Getty Images How does fracking work? Hence, the “Halliburton loophole.”Ī fracking site located in the Permian Basin oil field outside the town of Midland, Texas. This exemption came to be as a result of a recommendation by the Energy Task Force, an organization formed by then-President George Bush and headed by then-Vice President Dick Cheney, former CEO of Halliburton, which coincidentally also first patented fracking and is the largest provider of fracking services in the world. As a result, the EPA does not have the legal authority to regulate fracking fluids. This loophole amended the Safe Drinking Water Act - a major tool the EPA uses to keep our drinking water clean - to provide an exemption for the fluids used in hydraulic fracturing (or fracking). The act also included an exemption that fell firmly in the latter category that would later become known as the Halliburton loophole. Like any major bill, its provisions ranged from the useful (like authorizing tax credits for alternative energy producers), the questionably effective (like extending daylight savings time for a few weeks), and the downright counterproductive (like incentivizing the use of coal as an energy source). In 2005, the 109 th United States Congress passed the Energy Policy Act.