Samantha Page Climate Reporter at @ThinkProgress. Send your hot, dry tips to spage@thinkprogress.org Apr 14, 2016

Fracking’s total environmental impact is staggering, report finds

A new report details the sheer amount of fracking in the United States. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/BRENNAN LINSLEY, FILE Thebodyofevidenceisgrowingthatfrackingisnotonlybadfortheglobalclimate,itisalsodangerousforlocalcommunities.

Andaffectedcommunitiesaregrowinginnumber.Anewreport,releasedThursday,detailsthesheeramountofwatercontamination,airpollution,climateimpacts,andchemicaluseinfrackingintheUnitedStates.“Forthepastdecade,frackinghasbeenanightmareforourdrinkingwater,ouropenspaces,andourclimate,”RachelRichardson,aco-authorofthepaperfromEnvironmentAmerica,toldThinkProgress.Fracking,aformofextractionthatinjectslargevolumesofchemical-lacedwaterintoshale,releasingpocketsofoilandgas,hasbeenontheriseintheUnitedStatesforthepastdecade,andthesheernumbersarestaggering.EnvironmentAmericareportsthatatleast239billiongallonsofwater — anaverageofthreemilliongallonsperwell — hasbeenusedforfracking.In2014alone,frackingcreated15billiongallonsofwastewater.Thiswatergenerallycannotbereused,andisoftentoxic.Frackingoperatorsreinjectthewaterunderground,whereitcanleachintodrinkingwatersources.Thechemicalscanincludeformaldehyde,benzene,andhydrochloricacid.Frackingisalsobadnewsfortheclimate.Naturalgasis80percentmethane,whichtrapsheat86timesmoreeffectivelythanCO2overa20-yearperiod.Newlyfrackedwellsreleased2.4millionmetrictonsof

methanein2014 — equivalenttotheannualgreenhousegasemissionsof22coal-firedpowerplants.

CREDIT:DylanPetrohilos/ThinkProgress“Whetheryouarealreadyonthefrontlinesoffrackingoraresimplyworriedaboutyourchildrenhavingasafefuture,thenumbersdon’tlie,”Richardsonsaid.Atthispoint,morethanathousandsquaremilesofthecountryhavebeendisturbedbyfrackingactivity,thereportsays,with137,000frackingwellsdrilledorpermittedacrossmorethan20states.“Ithinkthereportpaintsafrighteningpictureoffracking’s

harms,”Richardsonsaid.“Alotoftheseharmsarethingsthatpeoplelivingonfracking’sfrontlinesareexperiencingfirsthand.”It’snotjusthumanswhoarebeingimpacted.InoneareaofWyoming,themuledeerpopulationhasfallenby40percentinthepast15years — coinciding,thereportsays,withafrackingboominthePinedaleMesaregion.Thedetrimentalresultsoffrackingareborneupbyaslewofstoriesandlawsuitsdocumentingthepractice’simpactonlocalcommunities.TwofamiliesinPennsylvaniawereawardedmorethan$4millioninMarch — endingaseven-yearlegalbattleagainstafrackingcompanytheysaidcontaminatedlocalwatersources.Lastsummer,aTexasmanwasseverelyburnedaftermethane,allegedlyfromnearbyfracking,causedanexplosioninhiswellshed.Meanwhile,inOklahoma,earthquakesareontherise,andatleastonewomanissuingalocaloilandgascompanyfordamagesfrominjuriesincurredduringanallegedlyfracking-relatedearthquake.Lastsummer,scientistsinTexasfoundelevatedlevelsofcancer-causingchemicalsinthedrinkingwaterinoneofthestate’smajorfrackingregions.Moreover,frackingjustonepartofagrowingphenomenonthatis

puttingAmericansatrisk:ourentirenaturalgassystem.Frackingisjustthefirststep.Naturalgastransportation — largelythroughanextensivepipelinesystem — alsoposesseriousrisksandenvironmentaldegradation.InPennsylvania,agroupoffarmersisfightingeminentdomainclaimsthathaveallowedapipelineconstructioncompanytocomeontotheirpropertyandcutdowntreestorunaliquifiednaturalgas(LNG)pipelinethatwillultimatelyconnectwithexportterminalsalongtheeast

coast.Naturalgasstorageisanissue:Thenation’slargest-evernaturalgasleakoccurredthispastwinter,whenaSouthernCaliforniastoragefacilityreleasedmorethan97,000metrictonsofmethane — apotentgreenhousegas — intotheatmosphere.Onthedistributionside,therearedangers,too.In2010,anLNGpipelineexplodedinSanBruno,California,killingeightpeople,injuringdozensmore,anddestroyinghomesintheBayAreasuburb.TheEnvironmentalDefenseFundandGoogleteameduponaseriesofstudiesofmethaneleaksandfoundthatoldercities,suchasBoston,areriddledwithleakypipes.PresidentObamarecentlyannouncedthattheEPAwillbeginarule-makingprocessforlimitingmethanefromexistingoilandgasfacilities.Somestatesarealsofightingbackagainstfracking.NewYorkStatehasbannedfracking,whileMarylandhasputamoratoriumonthepractice,pendingfurtherinvestigationintoitsrisks.OnWednesday,aMarylandcountybecamethefirstinthestatetobanfrackingoutright.Thereport’sauthorsarehopingthatputtingallthisdatatogethercanhelpconvincepolicymakersandcommunitiestotakethethreatoffrackingseriously — andtodosomethingaboutit.“Thebestwaytoprotectourhealthfromfrackingistobanthispracticeandkeepthesedirtyfuelsintheground,”Richardsonsaid.