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Fracking and your water supply – Issue

New research conducted during the last few years is strengthening the controversy about the safety of hydraulic fracturing, aka fracking, which is the high-pressure injection of water, chemicals, and sand into shale deposits to extract natural gas and oil. Although advocates insist fracking is a safe and economical source of clean energy, critics continue to report that frackingcan destroy drinking water supplies, pollute the air, contribute to the greenhouse gases, and trigger earthquakes.

Those interested in protecting their personal health will want to be aware of potential dangers from fracking. In addition to focusing on the contamination of surface and ground water affecting the quality of their drinking water, they will want to be aware of when the food they eat [even organic crops] is irrigated with fracking wastewater that is known to contain chemicals.

Fracking is regulated primarily at the state and local level. At the federal level, fracking is exempt from some of the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act, particularly the requirement to disclose the chemicals used in well injections.

ISSUE: As it related to our personal health, should we consider fracking safe?

AHHA strives to maintain a neutral position on issues and viewsknowledge as power. For those interested in learning more about this month’s issue, the following related articles were selected to serve as a foundation for learning more about this issue from the perspectives of the opposing viewpoints.

PRO
Unconventional Oil and Natural Gas Development
EPA

Fracking Not a “Widespread Risk” to Drinking Water, U.S. EPA Finds (6/4/19)
by Valerie Volcovici and Timothy Gardner
Reuters

Environmental and Community Impacts of Shale Development in Texas [pages 127-129] (2017)
The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas

The geochemistry of naturally occurring methane and saline groundwater in an area of unconventional shale gas development (2017)
ScienceDirect

Can hydraulic fracturing be done safely? (2016)
ConocoPhillips

CON
Fracking Ourselves to Death (5/10/19)
Alliance for Natural Health USA

What are the effects of fracking on the environment? (5/8/19)
by Melissa Horton
Investopedia

EPA Decides Not to Regulate Fracking Wastewater as Pennsylvania Study Reveals Recent Spike (4/25/19)
by Sharon Kelly
Desmog

Fracking Can Contaminate Drinking Water (4/4/16)
by Gayathri Vaidyanathan
Scientific American

Fracking Fluid Used to Irrigate Organic Crops (3/14/19)
Alliance for Natural Health USA

We encourage you to go to post your comments. You are invited to share additional resources you have found relating to this issue.

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