Natural gas mining has exploded in recent years. A technique called “fracking” has made mining natural gas cheap and profitable—and has added a dangerous chemical mix to nearby water that has been causing health problems in neighboring communities and --it also makes it flammable. Tasty.
The industry has been explored in the recent documentaries Gasland (which just won an award at the Sundance Festival) and Split Estate, and the New York Times recently waded into the debate with an editorial that calls for more oversight of the industry:
The New York Times may be taking this stance because their home city may be at risk. Drilling has already begun in the 1,585-square-mile watershed in the Catskill Mountains and upper Delaware River basin, but stiff opposition from New York City may have caused a roadblock.
But in other parts of the country, political power doesn’t come so easily. The chemicals used in the fracking fluid are still unknown, so it's hard to say what kind of damage the fluid will do when it encounters a water table. Natural
gas may promise U.S. energy independence – with what environmental cost? At least 260 chemicals are used in the process—but companies guard the secret of what exactly makes up their individual "special sauce".
The EPA recently launched a national study of hydraulic fracturing. In response to the reports of contamination, the EPA has decided to revisit it's 2004 report on fracking, which found that there were negligible impacts and has been "seen as superficial and skewed toward industry."
What environmental and human health cost is acceptable in our pursuit of cleaner energy supplies? Weigh in below.