...Fracking or Hydraulic fracturing is defined as a method of maximizing output at natural gas and oil wells through breaking formations of rock. This technique is done under a fluid injection with a high pressure. Over the past two decades, there have been many legal issues attributed to hydraulic fracturing. Most of the legal issues have risen due to environmental debates that have rose due to the process. This is because in order to increase the output of gases in the wells, chemical toxins that are harmful to aquatic life and human beings are released to the environment. There are also many risks that arise during and after the process leading to issues of negligence. State regulations have enacted laws and policies that prevent any harm caused by negligence from affecting the environment. Therefore, this paper contains a discussion of the legal issues that are raised by hydraulic fracturing process. Fracking and the safe drinking water Act issues is the most common discussed legal issue. Many arguments have risen due to the quality of underground water since it is contaminated with chemicals thus endangering aquifers. Some concerns raised involve contamination of drinking water since most of it comes from the wells. This water can be dangerous to the ecosystem if it enters drinking water wells. Secondly, management of the contaminated water from fracking wells is also a legal concern. State regulation should ensure that the extraction of the natural gas does not have detrimental...
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...found with large sores, streaks and lesions. When the scientist are looking at the coral and such under water, they are finding that many of it is still covered in oil. Even large animals such as dolphins are found affected. This article proves my argument for the affects of the deep sea drilling. This article shows my point and can provide evidence to show my audience, the oil companies, just how much the wildlife and animals are being affected. Piette carefully writes this article in hopes of maybe trying to show the oil field companies just what they are doing. That is why this article is going to help me prove my point and hopefully win over some oil field companies. If anything, this article makes me certain of the direction of the paper and what side I am on. I plan to pin point exact evidence such as lesions on fish and lung problems in dolphins. I plan to bring out the hard evidence and proof of just what is happening to these animals. Dragna, Lee. Interview Allie Dragna. 15 12 2012. In the interview with Lee Dragna, he shared personal experience about the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. His 9-year-old son saw the devastation on TV and wanted his father to fix it because he simply could “fix anything”. Dragna got to looking into it and realized maybe he could just fix this. Dragna builds and salvages barges for a living and realized he could put something together that would pick up oil, the Big Gulp. The Big Gulp is about the size of a football field. It picked up...
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...the Effects on the Environment and Public Health G. White Professor Wells English 215 Research and Writing August 2, 2013 Fracking and the Effects on the Environment and Public Health People are now recognizing some serious concerns to the public health and the drinking water becoming contaminated, because the fracturing of shale in our communities and what can be done to stop it all. The hydraulic fracturing of shale needs to be, banned until further investigations are completed to determine how safe it is to people and the environment surrounding the drilling site. It all started with a few cases of illness, which everyone assumed was a virus that was going around. Over the past couple of years, these illnesses have become a very serious problem, not only to people but to animals and livestock too. This is a big concern and it is obvious that it is not a genetic disease as first thought. Far too many families, who are living near these drilling sites and have contracted the same illnesses in many different areas across the United States,. Is this a coincidence or facts of serious problems taking place in the United States from fracking? It is very important that everyone should be aware and to take notice how close to where they live and if any hydraulic fracturing is taking place because there is much more to this story than many people realize. The hydraulic fracturing of shale needs to be, banned everywhere until further testing can actually be done to determine...
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...END OF TERM PAPER PROF. RUZIC HYDRAULIC FRACTURING AND THE EAGLE FORD SHALE Patricio Calles Almeida – UIN 651559726 Everyone knows that the urge to find an alternative to fossil fuels is one of the top priorities of technology researchers and scientists. We also know that the United States is becoming more and more dependable on foreign resources as the national ones are running low. However, fossil fuels are still the only cost-effective sources of them all. You could argue that hydroelectric and nuclear power are on the rise, but the first one does not produce large scale amounts of energy and the latter requires a huge initial investment with long waits until returns and profits; all the previous makes these sources not really convenient in developing countries, the ones that ironically need is the most. That’s why fossil fuel sources will continue to dominate the energy scene for the next decades, at least. In this context, I want to focus my paper on hydraulic fracturing, fracking. Actually, more specifically, the absolute focus will be to relate this modern method of oil and natural gas extraction with the Eagle Ford Shale, located in South Texas. Specifications and characteristics that make this shale so appealing for fracking will be a part of the following analysis. Overall, the shale is one that could be the biggest production center of oil and natural gas of the US and bring lots of economic benefits to the region. The objective of this paper is demonstrated...
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...OF SHALE GAS DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA: A term paper by Tejal Johri (MPE1296) and Shruti Sharma (MPE1293) for Semester 1 Course: Environment and Development Department of Policy Studies, The Energy and Resource Institute (New Delhi) Submitted on 9th December 2012 Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Literature Review 4 Scope 6 Conclusion 10 Works Cited 11 Executive Summary The gradual shift of the US gas sector- from one of deficit to one of surplus has gathered appreciative appraisals from the rest of the world and initiated talks about the prospect of harnessing shale gas in other countries, as US reached the lowest CO2 emission level in the last 20 years due to shift to natural gas. It has been referred to as “the biggest energy innovation of the decade”, in light of the growing need for suitable alternatives to conventional oil and gas with increasing pressure on energy over time. 90% of global shale gas is currently produced by the US. India meets two-thirds of its petroleum requirements by importing of fuels that include coal, and this figure is expected to rise in the future in spite of India being a coal-rich country. Even with introduction of more efficient technologies and cases of higher CO2 emission reduction, our country’s import dependence on petrol, oil and gas will significantly rise in the future, raising the pressure on the resources. This concern for energy security calls for further research in technological solutions for greater efficiency...
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...cleanliness of the water. In 1977, it was amended to add that if a permit was obtained, dumping was acceptable. Because of the amendment, the Clean Water Act now only reduces the amount of pollutants going into our water system. Water Pollution: A Growing Issue Water pollution has become a large global issue, especially in developing countries where it is a struggle to find clean drinking water for the inhabitants of the region. There are currently seven different types of water pollution; sewage, disease causing agents, sediment pollution, inorganic plant and algal, organic compounds, radioactive substances, and thermal pollution. These seven types can be categorized into three main types; biological, chemical, and physical. This paper will discuss chemical pollution in main water systems. Chemical water pollution can be caused by pesticides, metals, solvents, or petroleum...
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...Research Based Argument Paper David Odenweller 05/04/2014 Welcome to the machine Hydraulic fracturing has become one of the key issues of our time, due to the important part it plays in our nation’s ambitions for a clean and sustainable energy future. Due to recent technological advances in horizontal drilling techniques, the vast natural gas reserves found within the shale formations underground in the United States have become easily accessible. Responsible development of these resources is believed to be key to a sustainable financial, and environmentally prosperous future for America. However, recent environmental and health concerns beg to differ, and question whether these new developments pose more of a threat to americans than they are worth. Nature sustains life on our planet. Humans have developed an organization of society that runs on machines. What does it take to run the machines that power our world? Our society also runs on money. So anything that plays into the running of our society must must invariably be tied to how it profits the people in charge of running things. How does it benefit us as a whole? This question is larger than the debate which this paper addresses, yet it is valid in that it is an overarching theme that drives the situation behind the issues within. A big part of what our economy has deemed is important in order to sustain the current level of comfort that we have been sold is largely based on non-renewable energy sources such as...
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...Written Assignment 2: Biology and Technology in the Real World (Position Paper Click Link Below To Buy: http://hwcampus.com/shop/written-assignment-2-biology-technology-real-world-position-paper/ Course Outcomes This assignment is designed to help you achieve two of the four major course outcomes: • use knowledge of biological principles to ask relevant questions about the natural world • make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations 1. Select one of the topics below. a) Genetically modified food. Your daughter comes home from school a little perplexed. In her home economics class, her teacher informed her that you have probably been feeding her genetically modified foods. She did not quite understand what was meant by genetically modified food. In an attempt to help her understand, write a paper for her which includes the following: • The purpose of human-made genetic recombinations in food. • Whether or not foods that contain genes resulting from artificial genetic recombinations are really safe. • A list of foods in your supermarket that result from genetic recombination. • What types of regulations exist for these foods. • A conclusion of your own opinion on genetically modified foods (For help, you might search the Food and Drug Administration website.) b) Stem cells. Your friend suffered a spinal cord injury after a bad car accident. The medical team has decided that your friend...
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...Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….3 History and Regulations…………………………………………………………………………...4 Formation and Resources…………………………………………………………………………5 Uses of Natural Gas……………………………………………………………………………….7 Extraction Techniques…………………………………………………………………………….8 Hydraulic Fracturing………………………………………………………………………………9 Gasland………………………………………………………………………………………..…10 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….11 Natural Gas SWOT Analysis…………………………………………………………………….12 References………………………………………………………………………………………..13 Natural Gas in the United States Introduction The natural gas market is a topic that I had never given much thought. Prior to selecting this research paper topic the only knowledge that I had of natural gas is that it is an affordable energy source that was used by many families. Growing up in rural Louisiana my parents had a natural gas oven and heaters. My brother actually still uses the natural gas in my parents old home. My parents’ home now is totally electric and my mother complains about the utility bill and the slow cooking speed with electric. Those complaints seem so minute after learning about the dangers of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. When first giving the list of research paper topics, the worldwide natural gas market and fracking were not on my list of topic options. However, due to my procrastination on choosing one of my first picks I had to come up with a new list. During this process I decided to Google fracking. What I saw was both...
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...Before I began writing this paper I was neutral on the subject of natural gas fracking, I had never heard of it and had no idea how destructive this process of extraction was. The further I got on this report, the more furious I became that this was happening on US soil, and not only that but people in the highest levels of government were not only sanctioning it, but using their power in public office to advance the agenda of companies that they were either running before they cae into office, or companies that friends were running, or were just giving them kickbacks, which would be the only reason that anyone would let this go on. After doing just a small amount of research you realize rather quickly how detrimental this process is, not only to the environment, but to the helpless animals who had had wells built in their migration patterns. Not to mention the helpless children whos parents had no idea what the were getting themselves and their families into when they signed what appeared to be a harmless contract allowing a drilling company to put up a small rig on their property. Who didn’t realize that in a short amount of time they would be able to light the water coming out of their faucet on fire, that their animals would loose their hair, have problems eating and die. The fact that any human being would allow this to be done to other human beings all in the name of money is beyond me, but I’ll get into that later. What is hydraulic fracturing anyway? The U.S. contains gas...
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...Can Bulgaria frack its way to energy independence? | | Term Paper | Class: “BUSINESS & SOCIETY”, Prof. Akbar | | Radostina Rubenstein | 3/23/2014 | | Contents: Intro 3 Shale Gas in Bulgaria 3 Overview 4 Mounting concern as production rises 5 Water Supplies 5 Surface impacts 6 Land 6 Water 6 Noise 7 Frack Quakes 8 Social acceptance 8 FRACKING IN BULGARIA 8 IS THERE A BUBBLE IN THE SHALE GAS INDUSTRY? 10 Diminishing returns 11 The drilling treadmill 11 Unsustainable prices 11 A shale bubble 11 Regulate or Ban? Movement Divisions 12 Bibliography: 13 Intro In the beginning of 2009, South-East Europe suffered several external shocks: an extended period of cold weather, disruption in natural gas supplies from the Russian federation and financial crisis. The disruption of natural gas supply from the Russian Federation was particularly devastating for all countries with gas infrastructure. The region is supplied with natural gas from Russia by three different itineraries and three sub-regions are served by three different sets of gas infrastructure (see Appendix 1). Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and FYROM are supplied by a system of transit pipelines from Ukraine. Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are supplied from Ukraine via Hungary, while Croatia is supplied via Austria and Slovenia. These three supply systems are not connected which in itself presents a problem. With nearly 98% gas import dependency, however, Bulgaria’s...
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...Outline for Research Paper Topic: Fracking & Water Contamination in USA pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to inside. Hydraulic Fracturing or otherwise known as Fracking is a technique of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to extract natural gas. United States has numerous shale gas bases. Each gas well requires an average of 400 tanker trucks to carry water and supplies to and from the site. The water brought in is mixed with sand and chemicals to create fracking fluid. Approximately 40,000 gallons of chemicals are used per fracturing. In order to frack it needs up to 600 chemicals including carcinogens and toxins such as lead, uranium, mercury, ethylene glycol, radium, hydrochloric acid and formaldehyde. The fracking fluid is then pressure injected into the ground through a drilled pipeline, which goes about contaminating the wells, and threatens potential earthquake. The mixture reaches the end of the well where the high pressure causes the nearby shale rock to crack, creating fissures where natural gas flows into the well. During this process, methane gas and toxic chemicals leach out from the system and contaminate nearby groundwater. Methane concentrations are 17 times higher in drinking water wells near fracturing sites than in normal wells. Contaminated well water is used for drinking water for nearby cities and towns. There have been over 1000 documented cases of water contamination next to areas...
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...supply and production has been a result of technological advancement, particularly improved techniques in hydraulic fracturing, has kept prices for natural gas extremely low while crude oil prices have fluctuated and changed over time. One reason for this is the different nature of exportation in the two hydrocarbons. As will be discussed below, the transportation and exporting of natural gas is much different than for crude oil. Natural gas must undergo a liquefaction process in order to travel by specialized cargo ship, the alternative to a pipeline, which adds substantial costs to the activity. There are currently no operational natural gas export terminals in the lower 48 states, but a few are under construction. The large sunk costs will be a large part of our consideration of the exportation of natural gas. The U.S. has traditionally been a net importer of gas, and considering the high upfront costs of building export terminals, the sale of American gas has been isolated almost exclusively to the domestic market. The only exception to this has been to export natural gas only where existing pipelines can carry it, which has limited foreign export to North America. Despite this historical trend, calls for the US to begin exporting natural gas have been growing louder as the potential to seek higher priced natural gas markets become more attractive. This paper will explore liquid natural gas (LNG) export terminals and their prospects in the United States, analyze...
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...certain drilling process called “Horizontal drilling” to mine the oil pockets underneath. This this new type of drilling involves an enormous supply of fresh water and chemicals in which these fracing companies will not divulge what these chemicals are. All of this new technology is effecting nearby communities and small towns with at times toxic air discharges, water contamination and ecological concerns related to the disposal of the waste. With those concerns the Ohio Environmental Council (2011) temporarily stopping the fracing crews to do test on the public health risk. Soon after the U.S. EPA sent a study that the EPA conducted in December 2012 stating the effects that hydraulic fracing does to local drinking water. This study encompassed the mixing of chemicals in water, the post fracturing process the flowback period and the effects of treating and disposing that it has on the environment (EPA.gov 2013) A final complete peer reviewed report will be released to the public 2016 (Akron Beacon Journal 2013). With this...
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...The demand of increasing energy resources has tormented the United States in the past few decades. The availability of these resources has become questionable for the future not knowing what can be done for the sustainability of the United States. The United States would like to develop a method to obtain renewable and environment-friendly energy sources for the future. In this paper, I will be elaborating on the process of increasing oil and gas production with the method of “fracking”. What is fracking? This is a question I asked myself when doing this research paper. The solution of hydraulic fracturing also knowing as “fracking” is a quite interesting method that was discovered many years ago but has it’s pro and cons. Fracking is defined...
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