Fracking....how Do You Feel About It?

You should watch the film Gasland. When people can start their water on fire as it's coming out of the faucet, I think it's safe to say it's a problem.

And if you work in the industry, and focus more on spelling than the answer to a person's legitimate question, chances are it's another instance of business above health.

The United States of America, Inc.

:(

ETA: My comments were in response to another post where the answer appears to have been deleted by the person who posted it.

I am in the belly of the beast. I WAS surrounded by a couple acres of gorgeous woods, with a little windy road leading to my neighborhood.

Then one day I saw all these little devices sticking out of the ground every block or so. There were surveyors popping up all over the place, and then the bulldozers came.

Now there are no trees. Only fracking stations and construction of a new toll road. My little oasis of country in the middle of the city has been wiped out, replaced with loud machinery and pools of eerie metallic water. They hide those pools of water behind the giant tan fence.

This could be a case of misinformation and paranoia. I mean, I am not qualified to make a factual statement about it. I can't pretend I've done any real research, just a few online searches. I am no expert and dont pretend to be. I don't like to come down against something without knowing the facts.
But facts are hard to come by in this situation, aren't they? I'd like to think that surely the government wouldn't allow it if it were dangerous. But then again, I have ssen news reports of sink holes and earthquakes directly caused by fracking. There are two fracking stations within 10 blocks of my house. One 3 blocks from my kids school. One around the corner from my child care provider. It's enough t ocause a little paranoia.

Another Fracksylvania resident here.....

The Marcellus Shale formation reaches from NY to PA, OH, WV, KY as well as parts of VA, MD and TN.

Good news! Accessible natural gas in a country that desperately needs energy independence and jobs. This is a win-win, right?

Wrong. Once again, the MS industry is another example of exploitation--promises of money in the form of well-rights, jobs, and industry in exchange for questionable practices, unhealthy results for the citizens of the area.

Done right--good thing.
Done wrong--bad thing.
Done as another incidence of industry with politicians in their pocket? The worst possible scenario. That's what we have in PA.

Just another example of big business exploiting the "little guy" in exchange for "cashing in" with profit with a wink and a nod from the government.

They are high paying jobs for a region that desperately needs jobs....but at what cost to the community? Unsafe water?

Oh--that's right--we don't need the EPA. They're just a bunch of "greenie weenies" making a big deal out of nothing!

Here's a link showing the MS well violations for 2010:
http://www.cleanwater.org/feature/over-1200-marcellus-sha...

You'll immediately notice how many of the companies with the highest number of violations are members of Tom Corbett's (R-PA) Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission and have made large Donations to Tom Corbett/Space Cadet's campaign!

Scary stuff.

***ETA: Jim--Wouldn't that be nice if that was reality? YES, the industry is TRYING to test/propose new fracking fluids, but it's certainly not the "norm" of what is being used. (That was a Halliburton exec drinking the fracking fluid.)

If you want to know specifics, go to:
http://www.hydraulicfracturingdisclosure.org/fracfocusfind/

And locate the specific wells in your area. You can them look at a document that specifically discloses each ingredient used in the fracking fluids used at that well.
I didn't have to look at too many docs to see that these were NOT fluid I would like MY family to drink!

Yes, I've read all about fracking and it is extremely disturbing. It is so depressing to me that really it's all about making money and that's it. It is like the Dr. Seuss book The Thneeds really is coming true. No one will stop until it is much too late.

No, we have no one in the family in the industry.
I think there's a lot about fracking that we don't know about, and it appears it might be destroying a lot of ground water / water sheds.
As much as we need energy - we need clean drinking water more.

I read what you wrote but I don't understand what fracking is.
I'm interested in learning what you are talking about.

I am strongly, passionately opposed to fracking. Safe, green energy is available. It's just not used on a wide scale because our government subsidizes the oil and gas industries rather than the solar and wind industries. Right now, in our society, we're killing each other (literally) for gas that we do not need.

Thanks for asking this question, Mom of 4! You were right to ask it, and please stick around.

Mira

I watched "GasLand" and felt sick afterwards. Fracking chemicals are leeching into the underground aquifers by the gas fields. I think fracking should be outlawed. What will we do when we have no clean water to drink? Is money really more important than clean water?

WATCH GAS LAND!

It is a documentary made about the topic. IF you do not start screaming at the TV...I would be surprised. I was so mad at the fact that WE ARE STILL doing this.

I hate that we have Natural Gas heating in our house. When I found this out I made my Brother in Law look into how much switching it out would cost.

It is dangerous. Hurting fellow Citizens of this country and we are doing it all for more Fuel....or I guess better put and energy source....But at the cost of making people sick with Cancer and many many many other horrifying illnesses...NO THANK!

The Natrual Gas companies that are doing it would like to think they have been able to contain contaminates....but they truth of it all...Is when you are cracking the surface of the earth....no matter how deep....The grown is then stirred up, eventually the gas wont just be seeping out of the hole they fracked.....It will eventually just be coming out of the ground.......and can get into the water supply both Drinking and Land...

Once it is in the Land water supply the animals in the area start dying off...and the pets get ill and have odd things happen to them, like tumors or odd growths....Most will die prematurely.

not to mention the wildlife living around the water source as well...Fish, frogs, ducks....and pigs have been found dead next to the shoreline of rivers, lakes and small rain ponds that have formed...

If you have not read up on Fracking.....Or are ok with it......do more research and what you will find will make you question WHY WE ALLOW THEM TO DO IT....

Off my box...this is one topic that lights my fire.

Um...Unless I saw WHERE the stuff was coming from the CEO has drank and says in Edible.....I do not believe it. And let's give that person about four or more years to see if there is any lasting ILL effect on him or her.....Because that stuff is flipping scary. Anyone who defends it has not seen how sick people are getting because of the Fracking....OR they are benefiting from those nasty and evil profits from it...And then they are no longer human because they are willing to cost lives, health and happiness at the expensive of hundreds of peoples own....So they have a big house nice things and money to vacation...sound fair for all...WRONG...It makes any profit being made out of the natural gas industry blood money....Because people have died from their illnesses link to the stuff seeping out of the earth..........AND IT IS ALL TO HAVE MORE ENERGY! SICK!!

I have read a little about it. They don't do it down here (I don't think?)
It's upsetting....and of course the companies and even the government will come out with a bunch of official "reports" claiming it's safe, and the people and families who are harmed won't ever really be made whole again financially.
Kudos to you for raising awareness!

I live in Fracksylvania, and yes, it's an enormous and hideous problem. I have several friends big on sending alerts and petitions around about it. People are purchasing houses in towns where value will go up soon when people flee overly fracked zones... I need to get more informed and active I guess. Sigh. It's always something....

Fracking is bringing a lot of jobs and money to some towns that are desperate for it. But, I believe it could be done SO much better with so much less damage to the environment. Somehow, they are exempt from almost all of the environmental regulations and since it is spread all over the way it is there is no tracking just how bad the pollution is.

I fear our children will look back at our allowance of this and wonder what we could possibly have been thinking....

Of course the government does not have our best interest in mind, it's already been bought by big business, one of the most powerful lobbies is gas, oil and coal companies.

They don't want us to "wean ourselves" off dirty energy sources, they want to continue the staus quo until they've made every penny possible. Maybe then they'll be forced to look for alternatives but it's not cost effective for them now so they won't do it.

Tracy K. when you say you'd like to think the Government wouldn't put you in danger it scares me a little. I don't think they are calling the shots. Whichever company is in charge of the fracking operations around you is who you are trusting your family's health to. If I were you I'd start to research what's happening in your neighborhood, in my opinion it's that important.
Anybody read "The Lorax"?

As with most things controversial or those we don't have all the facts on, there are many unknowns and one sided views, this falls into that.
FYI, my wife has a client here in Houston that produces a fracking fluid that is EDIBLE, as in you can eat it, which the CEO has taken a drink of on several occasions for demonstation purposes. Interesting....

Mom:

You aren't going to be able to make everyone happy. This is something that has been done for decades - does it make it right? no. But we NEED to wean ourselves off foreign oil dependence.

Is there a better way to do it? Probably. Technology is improving all the time.

As to the rude mamas? be like a duck and let it roll off your back. I get flicked a lot by one mama and I try very hard to ignore her. This is a "hot topic" so people will bring their opinions to the table.

ETA: If you watch movies like GasLand (by Josh Fox), Sicko by Michael Moore - they are meant to "shock you" - so that you will be compelled to action. They just don't give you the full story. Only what suits them and will incense you.

*Chemicals

*Biodegradable

For those looking for more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing

ETA: No, I do not work in the industry, nor do I have any friends or relatives that do or profit from it any way. I just feel that if you are going to take a stand on something or make people aware of an issue, you will make a better impression and people will take you more seriously if your spelling, grammar, and terminology are correct.