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NATURAL GAS FRACKING IN MICHIGAN QUESTIONED
The July issue of Scientific American includes a map of profitable shale deposits containing natural gas. Much of the lower peninsula of Michigan is included. A particular practice of extracting the gas has become controversial: hydraulic fracking.
A borehole is drilled down to and through the shale. A pipe is inserted and cemented in place. A pressurized fluid (about 6,000 pounds per square inch) is forced down the pipe causing the shale to fracture, releasing the gas.
Unfortunately, the shale is below the aquifer, allowing the remaining gas to leak through the cracks in the shale and potentially contaminating the water.
Industrial leaders indicate there are no confirmed cases of such contamination, but critics argue about the limited nature of the data which does not include the entire fracking process, such as seapage from holding ponds of the fluid.
The article ends, "The country needs energy. It also needs drinking water. Whether it can have both remains an open question."
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has tried to develop safety standards as wells in that state have risen from two wells in 2005 to 768 in 2009. The industry is fighting any regulation. Protesters in Michigan continue to ask the state to protect the valuable potable water.
A borehole is drilled down to and through the shale. A pipe is inserted and cemented in place. A pressurized fluid (about 6,000 pounds per square inch) is forced down the pipe causing the shale to fracture, releasing the gas.
Unfortunately, the shale is below the aquifer, allowing the remaining gas to leak through the cracks in the shale and potentially contaminating the water.
Industrial leaders indicate there are no confirmed cases of such contamination, but critics argue about the limited nature of the data which does not include the entire fracking process, such as seapage from holding ponds of the fluid.
The article ends, "The country needs energy. It also needs drinking water. Whether it can have both remains an open question."
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has tried to develop safety standards as wells in that state have risen from two wells in 2005 to 768 in 2009. The industry is fighting any regulation. Protesters in Michigan continue to ask the state to protect the valuable potable water.
posted by Ed Fisher at
11:30 AM
3 Comments:
Protest is fine, but protesters really ought to read the online Michigan oil and gas regulations, and then articulate the precise complaints protesters have with how the state is currently protecting potable water.
Also honest thinkers who may have seen the non-science-based and but nonetheless opinionated movie "GasLand" may be interested in the critical thinking rebuttal posted here:
http://www.energyindepth.org/2010/06/debunking-gasland/
Be forewarned that the above "Anonymous" poster with the great "debunking" site is sponsored by the energy industry. I'm all for fair reporting, but seriously? I also strongly encourage you to check out the ENTIRE articles that they're quoting in the debunking site...apparently there IS leakage from the gas wells, and, OMG, Methane is BAD for you to inhale, so if you enjoy the little bubbles in your drink, make sure you're wearing a respirator with a straw opening to take that drink.
I agree with Lauren, The "debunking" website is clearly sponsored by the energy industry. They are really stretching to defend fracking. anyone with even the slightest sense would realize that injecting a coctail of chemicals in the ground will have SOME sort of repercusions.
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