Hydraulic Fracturing

            Recent findings in Wyoming have the EPA believing that the contaminations of water are coming from hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is technological way that allows producers to recover natural gas and oil from deep shale formations. By recovering oil and gas from shale formations, it has the potential of poisoning drinking water, polluting air, and harming the health of Americans and animals.

Although the EPA is not positive that the contamination is definitely all coming from fracturing, they did believe it is most positively a factor. They have found many compounds in the water that are used in fracking. This issue is important because as America is trying to stop their reliance on foreign oil imports by fracturing oil in America, they are realizing it may have high risks involved. Fracturing is believed to poison water and air and damage the health of Americans, as there have been multiple reports of unclean water, after fracking events have taken place nearby. By contaminating the ground water, it is leaving families without clean drinking water. With water being scarce already in many places around the world, fracking has the potential to contaminate millions of gallons of water a day. Also it is can cause bad smog air problems, which is leaving people in the area with lung burning smog and cancer causing benzene.

Fracking has a good and bad side. It is helpful because it allows the United State to reduce the reliance of foreign oil, but it also has the potential to pollute water and air and damage the health of Americans living near the gas fields. Although I think hydraulic fracturing is important in recovering natural gas and oil, I think that we should stop doing it until technological advances make sure it is completely safe. We need to stop relying on foreign oil, but we should not risk lives and essential resources over it.