Fracking in Ohio

September 2013

Is Fracking in Ohio Invading the Environment?

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130925103053.htm

        A new study is examining methane and other components in groundwater wells before the start of possible drilling for shale gas that's expected to commence over the next several years in Carroll County, Ohio. Amy Townsend-Small of the University of Cincinnati and a team of UC researchers spent a year doing periodic testing of groundwater wells in  a section of Ohio that sits along the shale-rich Pennsylvania-West Virginia borders - Carroll County. The study was conducted to analyze 25 groundwater wells at different distances from proposed fracking sites in the "rural, Appalachian, Utica Shale region of Carroll County". Due to the area being so rural, many of its inhabitants rely on groundwater wells for their water supply. The samples, which are taken every three to four months, are analyzed for concentrations of methane as well as hydrocarbons (a carcinogenic compound) and salt, "which is pulled up in the fracking water mixture from the shales, which are actually ancient ocean sediments".
        Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a process that uses millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals to break up the organic rich shale in order to produce natural gas resources. According to some,  

A drilling rig in Carroll County, Ohio. (Credit: Amy Townsend-Small)

fracking promises a future in "lower energy prices, cleaner energy, and additional jobs amid a frail economy". However, opponents express concerns about this fracking leading to increased methane gas levels (greenhouse gas) and other contamination. But, Townsend-Small explains that "some groundwater wells naturally hold a certain level of methane due to the decomposition of organic matter". Although it is not toxic drinking water, high levels of the methane can result in explosions.