Air and water are the most vital resources on this earth and hydraulic fracturing is threatening the reliability of the world’s resources at a startling rate, effectively destroying water and air supplies with chemical contamination. What happens when water no longer flows from the faucet, shower, or hose? What happens when the air outside is no longer breathable? This is a frightening prospect which has led to one solution, the process of hydraulic fracturing should be banned to avoid many significant environmental risks.
Research has shown hydraulic fracturing has been the cause of numerous environmentally damaging incidents, the most significantly documented is the ground water contamination specifically the detrimental chemicals. “Drinking water sources have been contaminated with explosive methane, as well as other dangerous substances, such as benzene and arsenic, that can cause cancer and other serious illnesses.” (Thompson 2013). The fact that these chemicals are leeching into the public’s drinking water and private wells shows the severity of the impact that fracking is having on the environment. "We don't know if they're connecting to another natural seam in the formation that lets gas or possibly toxic fluids migrate into water supplies," he said. "We do know from a study by Duke University in Marcellus Shale that 68 water wells in New York and 51 in Pennsylvania have been contaminated with hazardous levels of methane, where the risk of explosion in the water supply is very real." (McClatchy 2012). This proves we have documentation of the contamination to ground water wells and this has caused grounds to begin discussions to ban this type of drilling.
Another alarming environmental ramification is the increase in seismic activity around drilling sites and the increase in the amount of wells being drilled. “The US Geological Service has linked natural gas