Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Once a shale formation has been fracked, it cannot be unfracked and pieced
back together again, opponents say. So it is prudent to ask tough questions and push
for complete answers before greenlighting widespread energy exploration, espe-
cially in populated areas (such as the New York City watershed, above the Marcel-
lus Shale). This line of thinking has created unlikely alliances between ranchers,
industry, and environmentalists in places like Texas and Colorado. Forty years after
the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency and signing of the Clean
Water Act, the debate has reenergized the slumbering environmental movement,
and attracted celebrity movie stars and musicians to the cause. In their 2012 single
“Doom and Gloom” the Rolling Stones lament: “Fracking deep for oil, but there's
nothing in the sump.… I'm running out of water, so I'd better prime the pump!”
So deep is the divide between advocates and opponents that a straightforward
conversation about hydrofracking is nearly impossible in certain communities. The
stalemate has some advocates worried that resistance could hobble the shale re-
volution. The IEA notes that “concerns remain that production might involve un-
acceptable social and environmental damage,” and recommends that in order to
preserve the “gas revolution” drillers engage with their opponents, be transparent
about the chemicals and processes used, and submit to tighter regulations for the
Yet ideally the questions skeptics ask should help improve communication and
bridge the divide between the two camps, demystify hydrofracking, protect health
and investments, and forestall the kind of environmental debacle that could set the
entire industry back.
These questions begin with the hydrofracturing process itself, and the steps that
are involved, as outlined earlier: the construction and operation of the drill pad; the
drilling, integrity, and performance of the borehole; the injection of fluids under-
ground; the flowback of these liquids to the surface; the capture, processing, and
transportation of oil or gas; the disposal of wastewater; and the eventual closing
down of the well.
Each of these steps raises concerns about various issues, including the depletion
or pollution of water supplies; the mishandling of chemicals and waste at the sur-
