Hydraulic fracturing, like many innovations used to save money by the use of Earth’s natural resources, has positive and negative effects. Before recently researching the phenomenon, I had little knowledge as to what hydraulic fracturing was, let alone the effects it has on others. However, after watching John Fox’s, Gasland, and reading Gail Bambrick’s article, “Fracking: Pro and Con,” I have come to agree with Fox’s interviewees and Bambrick’s interviewee, John Rumpler, that hydraulic fracturing poses more negative outcomes for people than it does positive. In general, hydraulic fracturing is the deep digging into the earth’s crust to release natural gases from shale rock. This is done through large amounts of water pressuring the rocks …show more content…
The water carries some of the gases and when stored in the well, it leaches into the ground. Since the disposal wells are near main well lines for civilians, it is easy for the toxins in the disposal well to leach into the main lines. Toxins such as methane and benzine when leached into civilian’s main well lines causes serious health issues and health code violations according to acts such as, “The Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Resource Conservation Recovery Act” (Bambrick, par. 15). However, in Fox’s documentary, Gasland, he expressed how the oil and gas drilling companies found a loophole that allows them to inject toxins into nearby drinking water well …show more content…
Many civilians were outraged by the living conditions they were left with because of the fracturing. Their water was highly contaminated and unusable. The contamination was spreading to the air, as well, because of the condensation of the water from the drillers evaporating it making it unsafe to be outside for too long. Environmentalists advised the civilians not to drink, cook, or bathe in the water because it was discolored, had an oder, and overall unsafe (Grassland). Since the water was contaminated with chemicals such as benzine and propane, it was able to catch on fire. The interviewees demonstrated by putting a lighter next to a faucet with running water. The result ended with the water bursting into flames (Grassland). In the documentary the civilians expressed how they took their concerns to the higher ups, but it only led to temporary fixes. The big companies made the civilians sign disclaimers in return for clean water jugs for them to drink from (Grassland). The companies refused to look at the harms it was causing people and the later affects it could have on the entire