A fracking well pad is a sixacre plus industrial zone that can host as many as 10 individual gas wells that spread out like a spider web underground. There is a lot of controversy today about hydraulic fracturing aka fracking. Change in number of forest patches from 2001 to 2010 showing increasing fragmentation in bradford and washington counties, pennsylvania 28 12. We aim to help fill this knowledge gap and inform the public debate concerning fracking by providing comprehensive, longterm estimates of a set of environmental impacts of natural gas fracking in the interior marcellus shale. Although current environmental justice analyses shed light on fracking and frackings environmental and public health policy, a comprehensive justice analysis framework is needed in order to. Fracking can also pollute drinking water sources for major municipal systems, increasing water treatment. Since the state legislature and governor agreed to open up loyalsock state forest to fracking in 2009, nearly 100 wells have been per. Potential environmental impacts of fulldevelopment of the. Fracking issues not restricted to pa, but very relevant. If left unchecked, future development could further increase the number of core patches from 81 in 2012 to 167 throughout the lifetime of the play. Frackings impact on groundwater lingers in northern pennsylvania. Early trends in landcover change and forest fragmentation due to shalegas development in pennsylvania. This toolkit focuses primarily on the new horizontal form of fracking. The potential environmental impact from fracking in the delaware river basin technical report pdf available august 2015 with reads how we measure reads.
To support the drilling of a 5,000ftdeep well and the hydraulic fracturing process that follows, engineers must build a raised, gravel. Records show widespread use of secret fracking chemicals is a looming risk for delaware river basin, pennsylvania communities a report released today by the partnership for policy integrity pfpi found that between 20 and 2017, drilling companies injected at least one hydraulic fracturing fracking chemical with an identity kept hidden from the public into. The primary environmental impacts associated with hydraulic fracturing fracking result from the use of toxic chemicals during the fracking process and the subsequent release of additional toxic chemicals and radioactive materials during well production. To claim an exemption from tax for a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or tractor with the pa department of. The marcellus shale that runs beneath most of pennsylvania has been a key target for the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas industry is seeking to bring fracking into our national forests, around sever. Sadly, fracking has already been permitted in loyalsock state forest. Apr 21, 2011 the leak now appears to be under control, but pm explains how fracking operations normally collect the wastewater from their wellsand what went wrong this time. For example, ethylene glycol is a nonemulsifier, gelling agent, and friction reducer fracfocus 20. Unfortunately, the proposed regulations could fail to protect our state and national parks from known impacts of fracking, including air and water contamination, wildlife habitat fragmentation, and destruction of our parks beautiful viewsheds. Those most involved in the study and procedures of fracking are geologists as it concerns natural processes of the ground beneath our feet the soil and rock formations and of course the fossil fuels that organisations and governments wish to exploit. Hydraulic fracturing is indeed relevant to indiana and has been since it began to be used in the early 1950s. Records show widespread use of secret fracking chemicals is a looming risk for delaware river basin, pennsylvania communities a report released today by the partnership for policy integrity pfpi found that between 20 and 2017, drilling companies injected at least one hydraulic fracturing fracking chemical with an identity kept hidden from the public into more than. Risks to drinking water fracturing a deep shale layer one time to release natural gas might pose little risk to drinkingwater supplies, but doing so repeatedly could be.
In order to better make an educated decision on your. How frackings ups and downs affect pennsylvanias economy pennsylvanias natural gas boom has done plenty of good for the states economy. Since 2004, nearly 3,000 shale gas wells have been drilled in pennsylvania, which is still just a tiny fraction of. Landscape consequences of natural gas extraction in bradford. Fracking uses millions of litres of water, thousands of litres of chemicals, and thousands of kilograms of sand to blast apart rock.
Fracking could be the last straw that breaks the camel back, a. Dec 28, 2016 gas and oil companies believe that hydraulic fracking could be the economic lifeline that keeps them in profit for a few more decades. As fracking expands rapidly across the country, there are a growing number of documented cases of drinking water contamination and illness among nearby residents. A total environmental study paradigm is designed for impact analysis of fracking. Since 2004, nearly 3,000 shale gas wells have been. Between january 1, 2008, and september 30, 2016, fracking companies together committed a combined total of 4,351 violations, or an average of 1. The materials came from marcellus shale unconventional wells in greene and washington counties in southwest pa outside of pittsburgh. Do not use this form for claiming an exemption on the registration of a vehicle. Environmental impacts associated with hydraulic fracturing. Assessment of policies to reduce core forest fragmentation. Apr 03, 2020 the pennsylvania guide to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking lindsay lazarski whyy workers vacuum water or fluids surrounding a frack site in harford township, susquehanna county, pa.
In pennsylvania, the gas industry has deep ties with the states legislators. The economic costs of fracking in pennsylvania delaware. Gas industry in pa alone plans to overlap an industrial grid of a fracking system on top of half of the landmass 200,000 well plan to be drilled. However, not every well is completed using this method. Accurate drinking water complaint data is vital to know as maryland drafts new fracking regulations to potentially welcome the natural gas industry into western maryland in 2017. Even after drilling equipment has been removed, the well pad fragments habitat. In the marcellus region of pennsylvania, over 7,000 wells have been drilled, with multiple wells sometimes drilled from the same site, called a well pad. Key impacts of dirty drilling at the state and national level.
As drilling and fracking for shale gas continue, an estimated 60,000 miles of new pipelines could be constructed in pennsylvania alone to connect new well pads to customers. This new form of fracking has just developed over the last decade and uses more water and chemicals than the older version. Fracking issues not restricted to pa, but very relevant to all states with this problem. Between 2011 and 2015, the state approved more than 12,000 permits and almost 6,000 fracking wells, forever altering the landscape of northeastern and southwestern pennsylvania. The potential environmental impact from fracking in the. Pennsylvania fracking water contamination much higher than. The hydraulic fracking process explained step by step. Assuming the baseline year 2000, fragmentation from marcellus shale development through 2012 has increased the number of core patches by 25%. This thread is intended to be a onestop dispensary of information and stories on fracking, mostly in pa, but stories from other states that. Assessing land use abstract changes due to natural gas. Developing the marcellus shale pennsylvania environmental. Gas pipeline boom fragmenting pennsylvania s forests many of the pipelines to serve fracking are being built deep in the states 16 million acres of forest. Contrary to the epa fracking studys conclusion, the prevalence of drinking water contamination appears to be much higher than previously reported. The fracking process has transformed the energy outlook of the united states over the past decade, and the rise of shale gas has been primarily responsible for the united states now enjoying its lowest level of carbondioxide emissions since 1989.
Indiana oil and gas operators continue to utilize hydraulic fracturing to complete wells when they believe the method will increase the productivity of a well. However, many people do not understand the entire process or how it works. Gas pipeline boom fragmenting pennsylvanias forests. New report finds widespread use of proprietary fracking. Pennsylvanias parks and forests threatened by fracking site, bedford county drilling nicholas a. The article begins with general information about fracking as well as statespecific information about where fracking occurs, state laws and regulations covering fracking, and issues of political debate in the state. Keep in mind that 7,788 wells doesnt mean there are 7,778 large drilling rigs dotting pennsylvania. Pa shipped 7 million barrels of waste fluid to oh in 2011 only 5 injection wells in pa. The number of fracking well pad locations interspersed near homes is actually smaller than realized because many fracking wells are concentrated from one location. Oct 10, 2016 new regulations governing the extraction of natural gas through fracking went into effect on saturday in pennsylvania, the first overhaul since the industry took off in the state more than 10. About 70% of the county is forested, and about 71% of the forest in tioga are considered core forest. Potential environmental impacts of fulldevelopment of the marcellus shale in pennsylvania lars hanson, steven habicht, and paul faeth september 2016 distribution unlimited. This article focuses on fracking in pennsylvania and statespecific, rather than federal, regulation of the process.
Species that have small geographic ranges and a large overlap with the extensively industrializing marcellus and utica shalegas region are vulnerable to environmental impacts of fracking, including salinization and forest fragmentation. On the other hand, environmentalists consider it an environmental catastrophe. But as hydraulic fracturing hf or fracking has burgeoned, so has speculation about its environmental impact. Environments 2015, 2 203 the objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts that arise from unconventional and conventional oil and gas exploration across the pennsylvania landscape.
Pdf, according to the environmental protection agency epa. There are also concerns regarding forest fragmentation and. Over 400 tons of flowback fracturing sand landed in kalkaska county, according to the state of pennsylvanias department of environmental protection website. Key impacts of dirty drilling at the state and national level in colorado, fracking has already damaged 57,000 acres of land, equal to onethird of the acreage in the states park system. This play, which covers parts of pennsylvania, new york, west. Marcellus by design the pennsylvania state university compared to the habitat quality of the state as a whole, tioga county is in much better condition in terms of land use and fragmentation. Fracking and environmental injustice in a texas city. Html full text the truth about fracking contents 1. The answer lies at the center of escalating controversy in new york state, pennsylvania, texas and colorado, as well as australia, france and canada. The leak now appears to be under control, but pm explains how fracking operations normally collect the wastewater from their wellsand what went wrong this time.
Text wolf to 69866 to be notified about opportunities to advocate for a ban on fracking left to right. Manual tank gauging and sampling in the oil and gas. The fracking boom is changing the landscape of northeastern and. Not only are pennsylvanias water complaints much higher than previously reported, but also the basis that complaints are compared to leads people to believe that contamination rates are lower than they really are. Highvolume horizontal hydraulic fracturing fracking is a new technology that poses many threats to biodiversity. Nc fracking comments center for biological diversity. Fracking is already underway in 17 states, with more than 80,000 wells drilled or permitted since 2005. Landscape disturbance from unconventional and conventional. Technically, fracking is just one limited stage of the drilling process, but the study also found problems and risks. This form may be photocopied pennsylvania department of. Frackings impact on groundwater lingers in northern.
The marcellus shale has been underneath pennsylvania for centuries, but the extraction of natural gas began only recently. Habitat destruction and fragmentation environmental. Moreover, the oil and gas industry is aggressively seeking to expand fracking to new statesfrom new york to california to north carolinaand to areas that provide drinking water to millions of americans. Companies who apply for drilling or fracking permits must provide a bond 25 times the value ofthe projected output in order to apply for a permit. The science and technology behind the natural gas boom. Fracking s southeastern pennsylvania is known for its lush, pastoral landscapes and prosperous farming communities. Gas and oil companies believe that hydraulic fracking could be the economic lifeline that keeps them in profit for a few more decades. Area of forest fragmentation and surface impact would expand be.
Pa dep fracking chemicals disclosures frackorporation. Dep secretary john quigley said the pa fracking disclosure is part of the wolf administrations commitment to collaboration, transparency and integrity. Sep 03, 2017 frackings impact on groundwater lingers in northern pennsylvania. Langlois, phd candidate, brittingham lab, penn state, will discuss research on shale development and forest habitat. The information provided below explains the basics, including what shale gas is, where its found, why its important, how its. The database contains information exactly as reported to fracfocus, and only the data displayed on the disclosure pdf files. Fracking as fragmentation of communities relationship between food system and the gas industry. New regulations governing the extraction of natural gas through fracking went into effect on saturday in pennsylvania, the first overhaul since the industry took off in the state more than 10. The issue of habitat destruction and fragmentation is becoming of increasing importance as drilling increases on pennsylvania state forest. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a process used to extract natural gas or oil from shale rock and coal beds. Assessment of policies to reduce core forest fragmentation from marcellus shale development in pennsylvania leslie s.
Pdf the potential environmental impact from fracking in the. Average distance between pa drinking water wells and the marcellus shale 2,900 5,900 feet did not find contamination from fracking fluids but concern is whether chemical contaminants that are left underground up to 85 90% could follow similar trajectory over time. Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing, which is the process of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting specialized fluid into cracks to force them to open further. This webpage has been developed to answer the many questions that people have about shale gas and hydraulic fracturing or fracking. Frackings footprint soil science society of america. As time allows, im tweaking it a few states at a time, and actually ive found links for most all of the states of the united states, but a few are either elusive e. Pennsylvania fracking water contamination higher than. Between 2008 and 2016, just 17 percent of violations of rules meant to protect the. The chemicals used in the process can include hazardous compounds and the wastewater it produces may contain high levels of salts, metals, and occasional traces of radioactive isotopes from the subsurface environment. How frackings ups and downs affect pennsylvanias economy. A short summary of current knowledge and potential environmental impacts 1. In pennsylvania, fracking companies violate rules and regulations meant to protect the environment and human health on virtually a daily basis. Fracking damages the environment, threatens public health, and affects communities in ways that can impose a multitude of costs.