Environmental Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing and Natural Gas Drilling

There have been more than 1,000 cases of drinking water contamination due to hydraulic fracturing, including in Pennsylvania

Contamination has been documented by courts and state and local governments. (ProPublica: “Buried Secrets: Is Natural Gas Drilling Endangering U.S. Water Supplies?” Abrahm Lustgarten, November 19, 2008 )
In Pennsylvania, one example of ground water contamination is Bradford Township, McKean County where Schreiner Oil and Gas Company responsible for polluting at least seven water supplies. Two were found to contain methane, and 5 to contain ion and manganese above established drinking water standards. (DEP Identifies Responsibility for Bradford Township Gas Migration/Water Supply Problems, Department of Environmental Protection Daily Update
May 4, 2009)
Incidents in other states include dangerous levels of benzene turning up in groundwater and stream samples in 7 states after a well casing shattered beneath a rig at Divide Creek, Colorado in 2004. In rural Sublette County, Wyoming, near one of the nation’s largest gas fields, federal and state officials found 88 contaminated water wells in an area stretching over 28 miles. Fifteen contained benzene. (Business Week: “Does Natural-Gas Drilling Endanger Water Supplies?” Abrahm Lustgarten, November 11, 2008)

Chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing are highly toxic to humans

Of the hydraulic fracturing chemicals the Endocrine Disruption Network was able to analyze, it found that over 94% can cause skin, eye and respiratory harm, 93% can harm the gastrointestinal system and 83% have brain and nervous system effects. Over 40% can affect the kidneys, over 40% can affect the immune system and over 20% are endocrine disruptors. (The Endocrine Disruption Exchange: “Products and Chemicals Used in Fracturing” February 2009)

Chemical laden water used for hydraulic fracturing stays in the rock and can migrate into our ground and drinking water

As much as a third of injected fluids used in hydraulic fracturing remains in the ground and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes in the water "will likely be transported by groundwater flowing according to regional hydraulic gradients." (EPA, June 2004: “Evaluation of Impacts to Underground Sources Drinking Water by Hydraulic Fracturing of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs”)

Flammable Drinking Water

In Dimock Township, PA, the DEP found that defective well and cement casings on some of Cabot Oil & Gas Corp’s wells led to methane contamination of private drinking wells in a nine-square mile area. The contamination caused a concrete slab above a water well to explode, and residents were able to light vapors after bottling, shaking and uncapping their well water. (The Daily Review: “Natural Gas Found in Private Well Water” Laura Legere, January 23, 2009 & “WC Examiner, Cabot Slapped With Drilling Ban and Fine, Laura Legere, April 15, 2010)

Large amounts of chemicals are used for each fracturing

Mike John of Chesapeake Energy reported that of the fracturing fluid used, most is water and sand and, "just under 1 percent is a mixture of other chemicals". (The Daily Review, March 6, 2009: “Chesapeake Meeting Draws Sizeable Crowd” Tiffany Peden, March 6, 2009)
Hydraulic fracturing requires millions of gallons of water. For a 3 million gallon fracturing, Chesapeake’s figures would mean 30,000 gallons of toxic materials are being injected into the ground.

Hydraulic fracturing causes toxic air pollution

“At each stage of production and delivery, tons of toxic volatile compounds, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, etc., and fugitive natural gas (methane), escape and mix with nitrogen oxides from the exhaust of diesel-driven, mobile and stationary equipment to produce ground-level ozone.” “Gas field produced ozone has created a serious air pollution problem similar to that found in large urban areas, and can spread up to 200 miles beyond the immediate region where gas is being produced. Ozone not only causes irreversible damage to the lungs, it is equally damaging to conifers, aspen, forage, alfalfa, and other crops…” (The Endocrine Disruption Network: “Chemicals in Natural Gas Production, Introduction” http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/chemicals.introduction.php, last accessed 4/14/09)
Pinedale, WY, a rural town with no traffic lights, but a booming natural gas industry, has days when the air quality is comparable that of Los Angeles. (CNNMoney.com, October 20, 2008: “Small Town, Big Changes”)
Nationally, exhaust from cars and trucks accounts for 70 percent of the benzene released in the air. In Garfield County, CO, the oil and gas sector is responsible for 70 percent of the benzene in the air. (Aspen Daily News Online: “County Warned of Pollution from Drilling” Brent Gardner-Smith, February 13th, 2008)

Drilling can endanger agriculture

July, 2010: Pennsylvania agriculture officials quarantined 28 beef cattle after a mixture of fresh water and wastewater leaked from an impoundment pit on a Tioga Count farm. Earlier in the year, DEP inspectors had issued five violations for the well, including improperly lined pit. In May, 4 violations were issued. (ProPublica, A Fracking First in Pennsylvania: Cattle Quarantine, Nicholas Kusnetz, July 2, 2010)
In Garfield County, CO, near drilling waste pits where fracturing fluids are misted into the air for evaporation, cows stopped delivering healthy calves, sheep on an organic dairy farm had a rash of inexplicable still births, a bull went sterile and beef cows and pigs stopped going into heat. (ProPublica: “Buried Secrets: Is Natural Gas Drilling Endangering U.S. Water Supplies?”Abrahm Lustgarten, November 19, 2008)

Drilling sites impact forest and wildlife resources

Drilling requires land to be cleared for well pads, and roads and pipes are needed to transport heavy equipment, rigs and gas. These cause forest fragmentation, accelerated spread of invasive plant species, disturbance of sensitive habitats and decreases in wildlife populations in species such as songbirds and amphibians. (Penn State Live: “Wildlife Expert Warns of Ecological Risks of Natural Gas Drilling” January 23, 2009)
Use of unpaved access roads increases sedimentation in nearby streams, which raises water temperature, alters streambeds, impairs spawning and smothers aquatic insects. (Trout Unlimited): “Fractured Landscapes, The Appalachians’ Energy Development Rush” Morgan Lyle, Winter 2009, p 32-42, 59.)

Emptied Streams

1-5 million gallons of water are needed for each well fracturing. (The New York Times: “Proposed Gas Drilling Upstate Raises Concerns About Water Supply” Mireya Navarro, December 19, 2008)
The amount of water required for gas drilling can cause localized affects on our streams. For example, in Washington County, Cross Creek has been pumped out down to the river bottom. (WTAE TV: “Western Pa. Streams Emptied By Natural Gas Drilling” transcript of report by Jim Parsons, November 17, 2008)

Chemical Waterfall

In Parachte, CO, in February of 2008, 1.6 million gallons a fracturing fluids leaked from a waste pit, were transported by ground water and seeped out of cliff, creating a frozen waterfall. (Scientific American: “Drill for Natural Gas, Pollute Water” Abrahm Lustgarten and ProPublica, November 17, 2008)