# What's the Fracing Truth? (gas drilling) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 22, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fracing-truth-gas-drilling/544130 "2010-06-22T15:13:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fracing-truth-gas-drilling/544130/21 "2010-11-30T23:22:00Z")
New York moves closer to a moratorium on drilling. [Link](http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20101130/NEWS11/11300313/Assembly-approves-gas-drilling-moratorium) This is just getting absurd. Anyone who believes in science and reason should be against this type of ludicrous populism. Realize that according to the Environmental Protection Agency, United States Geological Survey, Ground Water Protection Council, and state regulators from Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, South Dakota, and Wyoming there has never been a single documented case of groundwater contamination from hydraulic fracturing. That’s with over one million wells having been frac’d in the U.S. over the past 60 years. I guess so-called environmentalists will continue to inadvertantly prop up the coal industry. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fracing-truth-gas-drilling/544130/22 "2010-11-30T23:35:43Z")
Natural Gas is our one best source for ending our energy dependence on overseas providers and Natural Gas from shale is the key. There almost certainly needs to be some more transparency and some more oversight, but it would be disastrous if this was in some sense regulated into oblivion. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fracing-truth-gas-drilling/544130/23 "2010-12-01T02:40:57Z")
We need better studies to understand the industry process and procedures with regard to ground water. This is occurring since it appears that the EPE, DOE and USGS all have studies underway or planned to look into the specifics of fracking. I trust them to do good science and balance the claims of both populists and industry proponents. If there are cases of fracking and groundwater contamination, I expect that these studies will document them. Here are just a few links to the information and studies that are going on: DOE [here](http://fossil.energy.gov/programs/oilgas/publications/Factsheets/Water_BrochureFINAL_elec_1-22-2010.pdf) (PDF). EPA [here](http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/index.cfm). USGS [here](http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2009/3032/pdf/FS2009-3032.pdf) (PDF) Energy industry info [here](http://www.energyindepth.org/in-depth/frac-in-depth/) (with some the data LonghornDave refers to) There does seem to be a lot of ‘smoke’ around this topic - whether there is a real ‘fire’ or if it is just the fog of misunderstanding, I don’t know. I’m glad it is getting more attention than just anecdotal reports in the media and soothing press releases from the industry. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fracing-truth-gas-drilling/544130/24 "2010-12-01T02:58:31Z")
> [@LonghornDave](#): > > I guess so-called environmentalists will continue to inadvertantly prop up the coal industry. You’ve got that right - a few years ago, when the production estimates of the Marcellus Shale started to skyrocket suddenly, coal plant owners were scared - it looked like the US might have so much natural gas that there’d be no reason running coal plants in many areas of the Northeast. Now thanks to the frac controversy, the ones I work with in that area are breathing a sigh of relief. And I know for an absolute fact that the uncertainty over whether New York is going to ban production of the shale in their State has made it such that 800MW of coal power which was to be shut down will now be running into the 2020’s - or beyond. This sort of begs the question: assume that fracing does cause problems with the water tables in some limited areas, and some folks have methane-fizzy water. At what point is it much better to just buy them out, in order to realize the net positive of a lower-polluting more GHG-friendly fuel like natural gas? ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fracing-truth-gas-drilling/544130/25 "2010-12-08T18:25:27Z")
For those interested in related news – [EPA: Natural Gas Driller Tainted Texas Aquifer](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/08/national/main7128797.shtml): > [@](#): > > The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency order against a Texas gas driller Tuesday, accusing the company of contaminating an aquifer and giving it 48 hours to provide clean drinking water to affected residents and begin taking steps to resolve the problem. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fracing-truth-gas-drilling/544130/26 "2010-12-14T21:53:09Z")
> [@Digital\_Stimulus](#): > > For those interested in related news – [EPA: Natural Gas Driller Tainted Texas Aquifer](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/08/national/main7128797.shtml): [This is not related to frac’ing.](http://fuelfix.com/blog/2010/12/13/fracking-not-to-blame-for-fouled-north-texas-drinking-water-report-says/) [Here](http://www.barnettshalenews.com/documents/2010/EPA%20Wrong%20-%20Barnett%20Shale%20Not%20Responsible%20For%20Gas%20In%20Water%20Wells%2012-13-2010.pdf) is a report stating that the natural gas in these water wells is unrelated to the Range Resources gas wells that are over a mile deeper. Further, the Railroad Commission of Texas, which is the main regulatory body in Texas dealing with oil and gas, has come to the defense of Range and criticized the EPA for acting in a political manner. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-fracing-truth-gas-drilling/544130.md?page=1)