In Santa Fe, New Mexico the Chaco Canyon stands as one of America’s grand national monuments.  The canyon which was built by the indigenous people of New Mexico represents a civilization that has excelled in architecture, agriculture, astronomy and the arts.  The canyon and the surrounding region have been highly protected by conservationists and the government, specifically the National Park Service, but when Trump took office the area around the Chaco Canyon became a prime contester for oil and gas drilling.  Although the surrounding region has been protected by the National Park Service, the land legally belongs to the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs which are less focused on protecting the sight and more focused on economic gain.

Drilling and fracking, the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, have a detrimental effect on the region.  Not only does drilling in the area of the canyon run the potential of ruining artifacts that have not yet been discovered but it also increases the regions chances for earthquakes.  In addition drilling emits carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and and other harmful chemicals from blasting activities (Indian Affairs).  Ryan Zinke, who serves on the Trump administration as the United States Secretary of the Interior mad oil drilling his priority.  What Zinke fails to realize is that by permitting more drilling, especially in areas as sensitive as the Chaco Canyon he is putting the people in his own country at risk to natural disasters.  In addition, the emissions have potential to detrimentally ruin human health and will therefore lead to more citizen death in the region.

Drilling regulations are of benefit to this country because although it may help America’s economy, we are slowly deteriorating the Earth making America a lot more susceptible to national disasters.   There have been studies done in industrial states, Kansas and Oklahoma that experience multiple small magnitude earthquakes a day, in an attempt to link drilling to the increase of their susceptibility to earthquakes.  The data shows that fracking, although not directly linked to causing earthquakes, increases the chance of earthquakes and adds to the harmful groundwater that already exists in the ground (Fifield).  Natural disasters are occurring more frequently and with more intensity as is in America so it is in every benefit for America to take precautions and cut down on anything that can increase natural disasters.

Works CitedOil and Gas Drilling/Development Impacts, teeic.indianaffairs.gov/er/oilgas/impact/drilldev/.

Moe, Richard. “The Treasures of Chaco Canyon Are Threatened by Drilling.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/12/01/opinion/chaco-canyon-new-mexico-drilling.html.

Fifield, Stateline Jen. “Scientists study link between U.S. oil drilling and rise in earthquakes.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 14 July 2016, www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/scientists-study-link-u-s-oil-drilling-rise-earthquakes.