Question

Using the classification system presented in the chapter, what types of pollution are generated by fracking?

Using the classification system presented in the chapter, what types of government regulations have been used to address the pollution generated by fracking?

What policy approaches do you believe might be most effective?

Answer 1

Toxic pollution from fracking causes a good spectrum of health issues for Americans across the country, associate environmental cluster charged in an exceedingly report discharged weekday. The health risks from fracking don't seem to be restricted to what is in our water oil and gas operations also are poisoning the air we have a tendency to breathe, aforesaid by senior somebody of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), that created the report.

The report aforesaid Americans UN agency live close to oil and gas drilling wells area unit exposed to fracking-related pollution within the type of chemicals like benzine and aldehyde. Fracking could be a drilling method that blasts immense amounts of water mixed with sand and chemicals deep underground to interrupt apart sedimentary rock deposits and extract gas and oil from the rock's pores. it's unfold across the country, resulting in a production boom. The NRDC aforesaid the pollution causes a minimum of 5 serious sorts of health issues, together with metabolic process issues, birth defects, blood disorders, cancer and system impacts. concerning one in four Americans live inside a mile of associate oil or well.

Technologies and ways which will build Fracking Cleaner are-

- mistreatment water-less fracking systems:
Traditional fracking systems use giant amounts of water, so mistreatment water-free fracking systems will save a great deal of water. this method could produce other blessings, for instance the corporate, GasFrac, uses gelled fluid containing gas rather than water in their fracking system. mistreatment the fluid GasFrac uses will gather identical result as mistreatment water, however uses simply eighth of the liquid and pumps the liquid at a lower rate.

- Replace diesel power-driven equipment:
Diesel power-driven instrumentality produces toxic pollutants and greenhouse emission once wont to drill or pump wells. Therefore, replacement diesel-powered instrumentality with engines that use fossil fuel or star panels can scale back the massive quantity of harmful gases emitted and lower the harm to the setting.

- scale back paraffin leaks:
One major concern of fracking is paraffin leaks. in keeping with somebody, a recent study terminated U.S. paraffin emissions area unit seemingly fifty % on top of official government estimates, therefore reducing paraffin leaks won't solely scale back the harm to the setting, however additionally facilitate firms to avoid wasting cash by reducing the loss of a serious part of fossil fuel, methane. There area unit 2 enhancements which will scale back paraffin leaks, one in all them is mistreatment infrared camera which will notice leaks at fracking sites.

- Introduce waste purification:
Hydraulic fracking produces a lot of waste than the quantity of oil it produces. in keeping with Kiger, the waste contains with chemicals treated water and natural water from rock formation. The waste is typically shipped to special storage facilities that area unit underground, however, treating waste will greatly scale back pollution cause by waste. The treated water may also be reused within the fracking system.