A look into the process of fracking and its consequences
What is fracking? A question that very few people are able to answer.
Put simply, fracking is the practice of inserting hydraulic fluid into minor cracks in the earth to widen them to withdraw untapped natural gas reservoirs underneath. Basically, fracking is another way of cracking the earth, but it is so much more extreme that someone decided that a good way of representing that extreme-ness was to use an “f” instead of a “c.” Obviously, the latter statement is not true, the term “fracking” comes from the practice of hydraulic fracturing, and the big “hydraulic fracturing” becomes “fracking”, which sounds so much cooler. In Canada, approximately 27 trillion cubic metres of natural gas exist in traditionally inaccessible tight shale formations. In British Columbia, accessing these deposits, about two kilometres under the surface, involves drilling down, and then horizontally, creating a space to inject millions of litres of water and corrosive chemicals to break down the shale. Once a hole is created, the mine can then extract the precious gas buried underneath.
The controversy that surrounds fracking is multi-faceted. In most areas, where the process is practiced, there is a lack of research being done to determine the effect it has on the earth. Fracking has been condemned in France, Bulgaria, and the state of Vermont. The process, however, has not been shunned because of the geologic harm it is causing, but because of the largely unknown health effects; particularly, the potential for drinking water contamination with toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. In Canada, the largest concentration of potentially harmful fracking is in British Columbia where mining companies have been given relatively free reign to create new natural gas wells. Specifically, there have been nearly 3,800 wells fracked since 2005.
Since fracking is undertaken by pumping chemicals into the earth, the most common health concern is the aforementioned contamination of drinking water. Most of the fluid used is not harmful to the environment, but the sheer volume of the fluid needed—up to 2,000,000 litres per well—creates dangerously high amounts of chemicals. In B.C. it is mandatory that companies publicly disclose the ingredients they use. A study done in 2011 to assess public health around natural gas mines found that of the 353 chemicals used in the province, 75 per cent could have respiratory, gastrointestinal, dermatological, and ocular effects; 40 per cent to 50 per cent could be neuro-, immuno- and nephrotoxic; 37 per cent could be endocrine disruptors; and 25 per cent could be carcinogenic. As of right now, no harmful chemicals linked to fracking have been found in B.C. waterways, however, it is highly plausible that in the future, an improper disposal practice, or leakage in the drainage pipes around the fracked holes could lead to a severe contamination similar to the issues that have popped up in Wyoming and other areas of the United States.
On Dec. 15, 2015 the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission confirmed that a magnitude 4.6 earthquake in British Columbia was caused by fracking. The harm that the practice can cause to geologic structures is one that has not been explored in great detail. The 4.6 magnitude earthquake was the most powerful earthquake to date officially caused by fracking. The same company also caused a 4.4 magnitude earthquake with its fracking practice in 2014, which means that the potential hazards are not unprecedented.
It leads one to wonder what kind of long term effect this highly intrusive form of mining could have. In the worst case scenario, it might induce the kind of earthquake that Lex Luthor aimed to cause in the first Superman movie and trigger a massive fault line causing huge, man-made shifts in the Earth’s crust. More likely, any earthquakes caused by fracking will remain small like the ones in B.C. The bigger issue lies with potential contamination in remote areas like the Sacred Headwaters region of B.C., where there are communities who could suffer from water sources becoming undrinkable. Water contamination from mining would not be a new story for the country. As of November 2015, there were 92 First Nation communities that had no easy access to clean drinking water due to man-made causes.
Fracking is too new to properly police right now—the effects are not studied enough to know what real harm could be caused—but it is becoming increasingly more important to figure it out. Should Canada join the countries who have banned the practice, develop safer practices, or continue as they are? There are questions that need to be asked sooner than later, and as students, we can ask them.