While Natural Gas is much cleaner burning than oil and coal
, it is also laced with potential environmental problems due mainly to its extraction. In Pennsylvania, environmentalists and local citizens are trying to get more stringent controls passed for what is known as "hydrofracking".
Hydrofracking is a process by which water that has been mixed with several chemicals is pumped into underground rock formations to help crack the rock and release the natural gas that is trapped inside. The problems arises with the "waste water" that is created after the water/chemical mixed flows out of the hyrdrofracking site. This water contains many toxic chemicals and pollutants including Arsenic, Aluminum and Cadmium. "Currently, the fracturing fluid often just goes through sewage treatment plants and is diluted in waterways, as long as it doesn't exceed 1 percent of the water being treated", said Myron Arnowitt, director of Clean Water Action.
The drilling that is being proposed is unprecedented in size in the state and these groups want to make sure that their water sources including rivers, streams and lakes are protected from this potential runoff. Environmentalists want to put 150 foot buffers between streams and wells to prevent storm water from putting waste runoff from the wells into the streams.
This in no way should be a political issue but a health and safety issue for everyone in the state and in the country. We need very strong environmental laws concerning the extraction of natural resources from lands in the U.S. Yes we do need these resources but the safety of the public should always come before profits. Just like with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico if the technology does not exist to control potential environmental disasters then the drilling or extraction should not take place until that technology is developed and in place.