Hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking, is a method of natural gas extraction using large machinery and a slick water mixture that serves to release gas by fracturing rock. There are many concerns associated with this, including an increased potential for toxicity and other harmful environmental impacts such as groundwater and surface water contamination, disturbance of various species and their habitats, and an increase in access roads to the fracturing sites. The benefit to companies for this method making the mining for natural gas in dense shale less expensive is outweighed by the numerous negative points that have been raised by the EPA and other agencies and groups, especially in New York State. Many protests are occurring in New York at this time, to push for hydraulic fracturing regulation or a banning of it completely.

Slick water hydraulic fracturing is currently being done an area that is roughly 48,000 square miles and stretches from the Catskills to eastern Ohio, as well as south through northern and western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This is where the largest deposit of Marcellus shale is in the United States, with 80 billion barrels of gas contained in the deposit that was formed 48 million years ago when the continent was covered by ocean. It also is being done in other spots, but this is where the majority of the hydrofracking has been occurring. This process was created by the companies Halliburton Inc., Messina Inc., and Schlumberger Inc.

Another issue with hydrofracking is the process by which the gas is obtained. The chemical additives that are used are benzene, hydrochloric acid, biocides, and diesel fuel. These are meant to make the process more efficient and economically beneficial than it would be otherwise. Benzene is especially toxic, even in miniscule amounts, and if it gets into the water table, than it could affect the drinking water of the area and harm many people. The potential for this to happen is relatively high, as the drill is going into the water table and there may be workers who are unskilled or negligent in using safe practices.

Contamination may also occur when the slick water is improperly contained or disposed of after hydrofracking has been completed. Also, trees and all groundcover are cut down to have access to the earth in order to drill for the natural gas in the shale rock. This results in quite a bit of loss to the forest land. Man-made earthquakes are being caused by drilling into the rock to create these wells, a fact that was not seriously considered before hydraulic fracturing became a practice. A Columbia University seismologist has stated that these practices are resulting in small earthquakes, but that they would only be localized due to the nature of the drilling.

Since the act of hydrofracking affects the drinking water, the EPA has stepped in to create and enforce regulations to protect the water that is being used for this purpose. This is largely done through the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. This program regulates the subsurface use of fluid. The UIC has does regulate the use of diesel fuel in hydraulic fracturing, although the Energy Policy Act of 2005 has added language that excludes the injection of fluids during the process of hydrofracking from having to adhere to the Safe Drinking Water Act. Companies which are injecting diesel fuel into the rock for hydraulic fracturing must obtain the proper authorization from the UIC program. The hydraulic fracturing wells that receive this as an additive are classified as Class II wells by the UIC.

There may be additional regulations through state oil and gas agencies, as well as through the Clean Water Act. Specifically, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program regulates flowback of fluids and materials into the surface waters of the country. These policies and programs have been set in place to keep the actions of companies from harming residents and from causing further problems through the water cycle.

The companies that use this type of extraction for natural gas have been notoriously quiet about what chemicals they use and how much of them are being used. The only disclosure about this they have given is that such chemical agents and additives are only used in “small amounts”. Since this is not a specific answer and because of the nature of some of the additives, there is concern from the public about the exposure to even minute amounts of it from the drinking water and even the air. Companies are in denial about the fact that the fracturing is causing earthquakes, and this causes an issue as critical research and testing is not being conducted when the earthquakes occur. Therefore, the blame cannot be placed on them officially, and a viable solution will not be found to stop them.

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