Category: Week 5

Notes on Social Impact of Fracking

• Increase of crime in small towns – people going into towns and intervening with the town
• More unexpected criminal activity in the towns – due to the influx of people
• Small Towns – police and public health is overwhelmed by the increase in crime
• Housing shortages
• High levels of traffic and accidents
• Noise pollution and interrupts people in towns – cognitive development interrupted
• Drinking water has a lot of chemicals
• More diseases and illnesses – such as lung cancer and respiratory problems
• Health issues because water spills into the soils – or could rise up
• A lot of documented deaths on the sites and near the sites
• Water pollution caused some companies to lose their licenses
• “National Geographic (Dobb 2013) describes “Streets clotted with noisy, exhaust-belching … trucks. More crime, more highway accidents, more medical emergencies. People on fixed incomes forced to move because they can’t afford steep rent hikes.”
• Boom of prostitution in the area – due to the influx of young men coming to the town without their families
• People know of the increase of people causes an increase in rent
• Many people move out due to the high pricing of rent and other goods
• Reproductive Issues – premature birth, low birth weight, birth defects, heart defects – exposure to particular chemicals and matter can cause reproductive issues
• Skin – Irritation, rashes, hair loss – due to the increased levels of benzene in the air and nitrogen oxide
• Heart and Blood – anemia, chest pain, heart attack – due to carbon monoxide and radium exposure
• Brain and nervous System – dizziness, motor functions impaired, memory problems – due hydrogen sulfide and benzene emissions
• Lungs – Asthma, Silicosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease – due to the fine particulate matter, benzene, methane, radon emissions
• These chemicals can also affect animals
• Increase of STDs due to the increase of illegal sexual activity and unprotected sexual activity

The Fracking Song (My Water’s On Fire Tonight)

Cons:

250 billion gallons of water was injected into the earth for the purpose of fracking, however this can also cause minor earthquakes

Fresh ground water can become contaminated with chemicals that are used to improve viscosity or the deeper saline water in the water table.

Drinking water is at the most risk of contamination due to fracking,

Fracking water is not biodegradable and 50% of it is left in the ground. Also, water injected into the ground is not returnable as it doesn’t return to the surface.

Around the area in which fracking is done, many families have found radon gas in their homes which is the second most lung cancer causing agent (because it’s so abundant no doubt)

Methane is released.

Water isn’t readily available in the area where fracking occurs so it needs to be brought in in shipments.

After fracking is completed the wells are sometimes not capped properly so gases are released into the air.

Noise and light pollutions in areas surrounding fracking sites.

Well casings often leak (because companies cut corners to save money) and pollutes aquifer.

Blowouts can occur

Benefits:

Fracking has less land exploitation than coal

Burns roughly half carbon dioxide and less than 3/4 nitrogen oxide

No sulfur dioxide or carbon monoxide.