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Pros And Cons Of Hydraulic Fracturing

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In the science industry there are many different controversies which are questioned every day, hydraulic fracturing is just one of these controversies. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a relatively new process which allows extraction of previously unobtainable natural gas from rock deep within the Earth’s surface. Drilling allows pressurized fracking fluids to be injected into the shale, creating new paths for the natural gas to be extracted from. The fluids are said to burst the paths created and allow the fluid as well as natural gas to escape and contaminate ground water. Although this is great for obtaining more natural gas, which is a much cleaner form of energy compared to other fossil fuels, it also raises concerns about contaminating aquifers which are found in the same vicinity as the gas bearing shale. While some believe it does contaminate the ground water, others believe it does not. …show more content…

Richard J. Davies, from the Department of Earth Sciences in Durham University, says that contamination may be present in aquifers but there is no proof that it is caused by fracking. Davies states that the tested wells in Pennsylvania and upstate New York may be contaminated but there hasn’t been recordings of the ground water beforehand. This could mean that the natural gas contamination could predate the hydraulic fracturing operations (3). Tarek Saba and Mark Orzechowski who are civil and environmental consultants also believe that there is a lack of data supporting the idea of fracking contaminating aquifers. They say that proposed averages in the areas are exaggerated, and that other data of the same areas shows more of a random contamination in both active and inactive wells. They say that the contamination has just happened over time through pores on the shale

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