Just the Fracks! Facts About Fracking "Waste Water"
Just the Fracks! Facts About Fracking Waste Water
Environmentalists in New Jersey (and across the country for that matter) are on a crusade against “fracking” (short for hydraulic fracturing), a process which allows energy producers to extract natural gas and oil which is trapped in rock formations (such as shale) deep underground.
Click here to read how fracking works
Groups like the Sierra Club constantly make wild claims about fracking causing destructive earthquakes and contaminating groundwater. But the facts are the fracking technique has been around for decades and has a record of safety. The fracking fluid used to crack the rock formation and release the trapped oil or gas is composed of 99.5% water and sand! Only 0.5% consists of chemicals.
Moreover, innovations in fracking and horizontal drilling have proven to be a boon for America’s natural gas industry. In North Dakota for instance, home to the Bakken Formation, the fracking industry has created thousands of jobs resulting in one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates of 3% (versus national average of 7.9%)! Accordingly, natural gas prices have dropped significantly, saving consumers hundreds of dollars on their utility bills. Dropping natural gas prices have also led to less reliance on coal which is actually better for the environment.
While one would think the environmentalist movement would welcome this, it is not the case. Apparently nothing less than inefficient, unreliable and expensive sources like wind and solar will do for these extremists.
Here in New Jersey the environmentalists’ scare tactics have worked to convince legislators to pass a ban on so-called “fracking waste water” (Assembly Bill A575/Senate Bill S253). This bill was subsequently vetoed by Governor Christie but an override attempt is expected in the near future.
Notably, another bill which would ban fracking altogether in New Jersey (Assembly Bill A567/Senate Bill S246) has also been introduced in the Legislature (Fracking does not currently take place in New Jersey, although shale deposits exist in areas such as Sussex County).
AFP-New Jersey believes the public and lawmakers should have the facts regarding hydraulic fracturing before the aforementioned bills are taken up again by the Legislature. As such, we have put together the fact sheet embedded above to help inform and educate them regarding this issue.
Fracking has been nothing less than an American success story — demonstrating how American ingenuity and innovation make all of our lives better. The last thing policymakers should be doing is taking steps to smother this industry with crippling regulations, let alone outright bans.
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