11
these stories. Some of this has in fact been done, but research money is tight, and
scientists are stretched thin. The limited research efforts would be much better spent
investigating and mitigating the actual risks based on data and published scientific
studies.
There are a number of other, more general environmental risks from both conventional and unconventional O&G production that are not directly related to fracking, but are often included with it in various discussions. These are things like
induced seismicity from the disposal of produced water down injection wells, GHG
emissions from methane leaking out of the natural gas transmission system, petroleum leakage from pipelines, gas seepage from abandoned wells, methane leakage
from deteriorated gas distribution systems in older cities, and of course the overarching concerns of fossil fuel use and climate change. All these issues are certainly
important in the environmental debate over the production and use of fossil fuels;
but none of them have much, if anything to do with fracking.
References
Akob, D. M., Mumford, A. C., Orem, W., Engle, M. A., Klinges, J. G., Kent, D. B., & Cozzarelli,
I. M. (2016). Wastewater disposal from unconventional oil and gas development degrades
stream quality at a West Virginia injection facility. Environmental Science & Technology, 50,
5517–5525.
Allen, D. T. (2016). Emissions from oil and gas operations in the United States and their air quality
implications. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 66, 549–575. https://doi.
org/10.1080/10962247.2016.1171263.
Allshouse, W. B., McKenzie, L. M., Barton, K., Brindley, S., & Adgate, J. L. (2019). Community
noise and air pollution exposure during the development of a multi-well oil and gas pad.
Environmental Science & Technology, 53(12), 7126–7135.
Banan, Z., & Gernand, J. M. (2018). Evaluation of gas well setback policy in the Marcellus Shale
region of Pennsylvania in relation to emissions of fine particulate matter. Journal of the Air &
Waste Management Association, 68, 988–1000.
Bari, M. A., & Kindzierski, W. B. (2018). Ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Calgary,
Alberta: Sources and screening health risk assessment. Science of the Total Environment,
631/632, 627–640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.023.
Barth-Naftilan, E., Sohng, J., & Saiers, J. E. (2018). Methane in groundwater before, during, and
after hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 115(27), 6970–6975. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1720898115.
Bean, J. K., Bhandari, S., Bilotto, A., & Hildebrandt Ruiz, L. (2018). Formation of particulate matter from the oxidation of evaporated hydraulic fracturing wastewater. Environmental Science &
Technology, 52(8), 4960–4968.
Benedict, K. B., Prenni, A. J., Sullivan, A. P., Evanoski-Cole, A. R., Fischer, E. V., Callahan, S.,
Sive, B. C., Zhou, Y., Schichtel, B. A., & Collett, J. L., Jr. (2018). Impact of front range sources
on reactive nitrogen concentrations and deposition in Rocky Mountain National Park. Peer
Journal, 6, e4759. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4759.
Birdsell, D. T., Rajaram, H., Dempsey, D., & Viswanathan, H. S. (2015). Hydraulic fracturing
fluid migration in the subsurface: A review and expanded modeling results. Water Resources
Research, 51(9), 7159–7188.
References
these stories. Some of this has in fact been done, but research money is tight, and
scientists are stretched thin. The limited research efforts would be much better spent
investigating and mitigating the actual risks based on data and published scientific
studies.
There are a number of other, more general environmental risks from both conventional and unconventional O&G production that are not directly related to fracking, but are often included with it in various discussions. These are things like
induced seismicity from the disposal of produced water down injection wells, GHG
emissions from methane leaking out of the natural gas transmission system, petroleum leakage from pipelines, gas seepage from abandoned wells, methane leakage
from deteriorated gas distribution systems in older cities, and of course the overarching concerns of fossil fuel use and climate change. All these issues are certainly
important in the environmental debate over the production and use of fossil fuels;
but none of them have much, if anything to do with fracking.
References
Akob, D. M., Mumford, A. C., Orem, W., Engle, M. A., Klinges, J. G., Kent, D. B., & Cozzarelli,
I. M. (2016). Wastewater disposal from unconventional oil and gas development degrades
stream quality at a West Virginia injection facility. Environmental Science & Technology, 50,
5517–5525.
Allen, D. T. (2016). Emissions from oil and gas operations in the United States and their air quality
implications. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 66, 549–575. https://doi.
org/10.1080/10962247.2016.1171263.
Allshouse, W. B., McKenzie, L. M., Barton, K., Brindley, S., & Adgate, J. L. (2019). Community
noise and air pollution exposure during the development of a multi-well oil and gas pad.
Environmental Science & Technology, 53(12), 7126–7135.
Banan, Z., & Gernand, J. M. (2018). Evaluation of gas well setback policy in the Marcellus Shale
region of Pennsylvania in relation to emissions of fine particulate matter. Journal of the Air &
Waste Management Association, 68, 988–1000.
Bari, M. A., & Kindzierski, W. B. (2018). Ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Calgary,
Alberta: Sources and screening health risk assessment. Science of the Total Environment,
631/632, 627–640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.023.
Barth-Naftilan, E., Sohng, J., & Saiers, J. E. (2018). Methane in groundwater before, during, and
after hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 115(27), 6970–6975. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1720898115.
Bean, J. K., Bhandari, S., Bilotto, A., & Hildebrandt Ruiz, L. (2018). Formation of particulate matter from the oxidation of evaporated hydraulic fracturing wastewater. Environmental Science &
Technology, 52(8), 4960–4968.
Benedict, K. B., Prenni, A. J., Sullivan, A. P., Evanoski-Cole, A. R., Fischer, E. V., Callahan, S.,
Sive, B. C., Zhou, Y., Schichtel, B. A., & Collett, J. L., Jr. (2018). Impact of front range sources
on reactive nitrogen concentrations and deposition in Rocky Mountain National Park. Peer
Journal, 6, e4759. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4759.
Birdsell, D. T., Rajaram, H., Dempsey, D., & Viswanathan, H. S. (2015). Hydraulic fracturing
fluid migration in the subsurface: A review and expanded modeling results. Water Resources
Research, 51(9), 7159–7188.
References