DOES FRACKING CAUSE HEALTH IMPACTS?

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DOES FRACKING CAUSE HEALTH IMPACTS?

• JUSTIN TAYLOR, KERLA MEJIA, MARIA CHIELLI

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WHAT IS FRACKING?

• "HYDRAULIC FRACTURING INVOLVES THE SMASHING OF
  ROCK WITH MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATERALONG 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 1940S
• THE 2005 ENERGY POLICY

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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

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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 DOESNT
• PRODUCE A LOT OF MONEY

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STATES THAT ARE PARTAKING

• FRACKING IS ALREADY WIDESPREAD IN
• WYOMING
• COLORADO
• TEXAS
• PENNSYLVANIA
• OHIO
• NEW YORK ???
• NEW JERSEY BANNED FRACKING

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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

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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

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HOW DOES FRACKING COMPARE TO OTHER ENERGY SOURCES?
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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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ANTI-FRACKING OPINION

• CHEMICALS USED IN FRACKING DISRUPT HUMAN BODYS
  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

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ANTI-FRACKING OPINION

• 72 TRILLION GALLONS OF WATER USED IN THE UNITED
  STATES ALONE
• 360 BILLION GALLONS OF NON-BIODEGRADABLE
  CHEMICALS TO OPERATE WELLS
• METHANE CONCENTRATIONS ARE 17 TIMES HIGHER IN
  DRINKING WATER OF WELLS NEAR FRACKING SITES

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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

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COMMENTS/OPINIONS ON FRACKING

• 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

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WORKS CITED

• HTTP//WWW.SCIENTIFICAMERICAN.COM/ARTICLE/SAFETY-F
  IRST-FRACKING-SECOND/
• HTTP//SERC.CARLETON.EDU/NAGTWORKSHOPS/HEALTH/CASE
  _STUDIES/HYDROFRACKING_W.HTML
• HTTP//WWW.NYTIMES.COM/2011/02/27/US/27GAS.HTML?_R
  0
• HTTP//STATEIMPACT.NPR.ORG/PENNSYLVANIA/2014/09/15
  /STUDY-FINDS-FLAWED-WELL-CASINGS-NOT-FRACKING-CAUS
  ED-TAINTED-WATER/
• HTTP//WWW.USGS.GOV/BLOGS/FEATURES/USGS_TOP_STORY/
  MAN-MADE-EARTHQUAKES/
• HTTP//WWW.POPULARMECHANICS.COM/SCIENCE/ENERGY/COA
  L-OIL-GAS/TOP-10-MYTHS-ABOUT-NATURAL-GAS-DRILLING-
  6386593SLIDE-1
• HTTP//WWW.MDE.STATE.MD.US/PROGRAMS/LAND/MINING/MA
  RCELLUS/PAGES/MSREPORTPARTII_PUBLICCOMMENTS.ASPX
• WWW.EARTHJUSTICE.ORG
• HTTPS//WWW.ENDOCRINE.ORG/NEWS-ROOM/CURRENT-PRESS-
  RELEASES/HORMONE-DISRUPTING-ACTIVITY-OF-FRACKING-C
  HEMICALS-WORSE-THAN-INITIALLY-FOUND
• HTTP//WWW.PRI.ORG/STORIES/2014-11-18/FRACKING-BOO
  MS-WASTE-SPILLS-RISE-AND-SO-DO-ARSENIC-LEVELS-GROU
  NDWATER
• HTTP//THINKPROGRESS.ORG/CLIMATE/2014/03/25/341849
  8/FRACKING-SAFETY-US-UK/
• HTTP//WWW.DANGERSOFFRACKING.COM
• UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, HYDRAULIC
  FRACTURING AND SHALE GAS PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY,
  IMPACTS AND REGULATIONS
• PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
  PROTECTION LAWS, REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES