The Effects of Gas Drilling Near Rivers

Drilling for natural gas is on the rise. Bubbles of natural gas trapped between shale layers in the United States are seen as a way to combat climate change with cleaner energy and reducing our reliance on foreign fuel sources at the same time, according to a February 2011 article in "The New York Times" by Ian Urbina. Regulation of such gas drilling is behind the times and the little research that has been done on their negative effects on rivers and other water sources hasn't been widely dispersed.



While agencies like the Upper Delaware Council are concerned about the conservation of natural environments near rivers and the industrialization of the landscape, they're also worried about negative effects on water quality and other environmental impact, according to a March 2011 article by Steve McConnell in "The Times Tribune."

Hydrofracking

• Natural gas drilling is intended to help reduce our reliance on foreign oil.

  High-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracking" involves sending huge volumes of water combined with chemicals and sand down into rock to break it up and release natural gas. This process results in millions of gallons of wastewater contaminated with carcinogens, corrosive salts and radioactive elements, reports Urbina. Air and water contamination, health effects and impact on wildlife are all major concerns associated with hydrofracking. The gas drilling involves the odor of "raw sewage mixed with gasoline," underground explosions, and waste pits as large as football fields, according to Urbina. Utility operators downriver of such sites have complained of equipment corrosion, underground containment tanks have cracked, and wastewater treatment plants are ill-equipped to deal with such issues. There has been scant testing of the radioactivity levels of such water.

Air Pollution

• Hydrofracking release natural gas bubbles trapped in shale layers.

  Gas-drilling sites near rivers or anywhere in the landscape increase levels of air pollution. Natural-gas drilling sites in Wyoming raised levels of benzene and toluene in the air far higher than federal standards for air quality in 2009, reports Urbina, and have increased negative effects on the ozone layer. Texas counties with the highest concentration of drilling sites have found a 25 percent increase in asthma reports for young children. Congressman Rush Holt has helped introduce the Bringing Reductions to Energy's Airborne Toxic Health Effects (BREATHE) Act in order to close loopholes and increase regulation of gas-drilling endeavors.

Groundwater Pollution

• Wastewater spills and containment failures can contaminate waterways.

  About 90 percent of the 493,000 natural-gas drilling wells in America utilize hydrofracking, and 10 to 40 percent of that wastewater returns to the surface. Natural gas has polluted underground drinking-water reservoirs in at least five states, reports Urbina. Pennsylvania has reported 16 incidences of containment leaks and wastewater spills in the past few years, and there is little oversight when it comes to such spills. Gas drilling companies report their own spills and conduct their own cleanup efforts, says Urbina.

  The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act is meant to raise regulations and standards concerning natural gas drilling near rivers and elsewhere. If passed, gas drilling companies would have to disclose what chemicals were used in the process and meet Safe Drinking Water Act Standards, according to the news site "NJ.com."

Water Treatment Stations

• Sewage treatments aren't equipped to adequately treat such waste before releasing it into rivers.

  Pennsylvania doesn't require gas drilling companies to store their wastewater in underground containment tanks; it allows them to send their wastewater to treatment plants.

  "The New York Times" conducted its own investigation and found that much of the wastewater trucked to sewage plants contains higher levels of radioactivity than treatment plants are able to handle. One study came to the conclusion that radioactivity in such wastewater cannot be completely diluted before being emptied into rivers and other waterways.

  Drinking water plants aren't required to test for radioactivity in Pennyslvania, and both federal and state regulators don't require sewage treatment plants to test the radioactivity of gas drilling wastewater. Some of the chemicals used in hydrofracking can combine with chlorine in drinking water to form cancer-causing compounds, reports Matt Fair on "NJ.com."

The Food Chain

• Radioactive water may contaminate fish and farms.

  Sewage treatment plants in 2009 and 2010 accepted wastewater that contained radioactivity levels 2,122 times the standards set for drinking water in Pennsylvania, reports "The New York Times." This radioactivity and other compounds used in hydrofracking can contaminate fish from rivers and waterways, increasing the risk of cancer in the people that consume them. This radioactive water can also enter the food chain through farming irrigation, warns the Environmental Protection Agency.