Friday 18 December 2015

We either stop fracking or risk even more severe earthquakes


"A 4.6 magnitude earthquake emanating from the gas fields in northeast British Columbia during the summer was caused by hydraulic fracturing and is the largest induced seismic event ever recorded in the province, the BC Oil and Gas Commission has confirmed.

It surpasses two 4.4 magnitude induced earthquakes in Alberta and one of similar magnitude in B.C. last year that have been attributed to gas drilling activities, adding to growing concerns about a relatively new and controversial extraction process commonly known as fracking."

Read the story in the Globe and Mail

According to Physicians for Social Responsibility...some of the most serious concerns that fracking raises are:
  • Toxic drilling fluids and fracturing fluids, injected deep underground and then withdrawn, may contaminate underground aquifers and surface waters.
  • Air emissions including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) threaten human health, especially of workers and residents of the immediate vicinity.
  • Diesel pollution and noise pollution can be constant, as truck traffic is intensive and fracking continues 24-7.
  • Stress factors affect the quality of life in communities where drilling occurs.
  • Methane leaks accelerate climate change. Methane is 72 times more potent at capturing heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after release

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