Fracking: What You Need to Know
Recently, I tweeted about the French instituting a fracking ban while Governor Cuomo partially lifted New York’s ban . What is fracking you might ask? Properly known as hydraulic fracturing it is a process whereby a hole is bored into subterranean layers of shale (a sedimentary rock) and an undisclosed mixture of water and chemicals is injected at high pressures to crack the shale open and release the natural gas. By US Environmental Protection Agency [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons The process of fracking is highly controversial, and was featured at length in the 2010 documentary Gasland ( IMDB ). The release of chemicals which naturally occur in hydrocarbon deposits is a potential source of water contamination. These chemicals include volatile organic compounds which can potentially cause kidney damage and benzene which is a carcinogen . Additionally, there is concern that the chemicals used for fracking might leach into the water table as well. The level of