Vicente Aravena

1314 South 500 East

Salt Lake City, UT 84105
(435) 659-7323
April 29, 2015
Julie Roberts
Professor
Salt Lake Community College
1575 South State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Dear Mrs. Roberts:
I am writing this letter to explain to why I believe this is the best piece of writing I've
done in your class this semester thanks to you and my peers. I have learned a lot
about myself as a writer in this class and I feel that I have met all of the course goals
throughout the semester.
The highlights you see throughout my final are the corrections I've made from the
original report that Ive done. Most of the feedback that I received from my peers was
mainly grammar and punctuation problems so I got those taken care of. A big
problem that I had but didn't notice was not having a solid conclusion, after writing a
new I feel like my point got across. I was also told to cite more consistently so I made
a few more in-text citations so you can see exactly where I was getting my
information.
In the spring semester of 2015 I feel like I met all of the course goals. I was
successful by adapting to different writing styles by writing in different genres. I really
enjoyed working collaboratively with my peers during the peer reviews because it
helps the writing process a ton. I also learned to approach research critically,
analytically and rhetorically as you can see in the following piece. It has been a good
semester here at SLCC I want to thank the professor and my peers for my success in
the class.
Sincerely,

Vicente Aravena
Vicente Aravena

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Vicente Aravena
Professor Roberts
Report
April 29, 2015
The Truth Behind Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing commonly known as fracking is a process that large
corporations such as BP and Exxon-mobile use to extract natural gas and oil from rock
that lies deep beneath the Earth. These companies drill a deep well into the Earth and
inject millions of gallons of toxic fluid at a high enough pressure to fracture the rock and
release the oil or gas. If not done right it can be torturous to the Earth and to us. Some
serious health concerns come with fracking, their have been countless reports of people
who live near these fracking sites becoming seriously illl from drinking contaminated
water, others claim that they can light their tap water on fire due to the amount of
methane in it. Some communities with fracking sites have seen declines in property
value, increases in crime, and losses in local tourism and agriculture. Fracking is an
environmental issue as well as a
public health issue that people must
be informed about.

The Process

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Fracking is relatively new and a fundamentally different gas extraction method.

Unlike natural gas wells, fracking wells go thousands of feet deeper and they require
between two and five million gallons of local freshwater per well (10x more than natural
gas wells). A well is drilled vertically to the desired depth, then turns ninety degrees and
continues horizontally for several thousand feet into the shale rock believed to contain
the natural gas. Then, the fracking fluid (mixture of water, sand and various chemicals)
is pumped into the well at high pressure in order to create fissures in the shale through
which gas can escape. Companies performing fracking have resisted disclosure of the
exact contents of the fracking fluid but studies of fracking waste indicate that the fluid
contains: formaldehyde, acetic acids, citric acids, and boric acids, among hundreds of
other chemical contaminants (Clean Water Action). The natural gas then escapes
through the fissures and is drawn back up to the surface, where it is processed,
redefined, and shipped to market. Once the fracking process is complete wastewater
(also called flowback or produced water) then returns to the surface where it should
be captured, then either disposed of or recycled, but companies are getting worse by the
year.

Environmental Impacts
Fracking takes a big toll on the environment, a recent study by the National
Oceanic and atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitoring gas wells in Weld County,
Colorado estimated that 4 percent of the methane produced by these wells is escaping

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into the atmosphere. NOAA found that the Weld County gas wells to be equal to the
carbon emissions of 1-3 million cars. Each well uses chemical additives in the drilling of
mud, slurries and fluids required for the fracking process. These wells produces millions
of gallons of toxic fluid containing not only the added chemicals but other naturally
occurring radioactive material, liquid hydrocarbons, brine water and heavy metals.
Fissures created by the fracking process can also create underground pathways for
gases, chemicals and radioactive material. In 2011, North Dakota alone reported over
1,000 oil spills leading to tainted soil. The Associated Press also recently reported that
the amount of chemically tainted soil from drilling waste increased nearly 5,100 percent
over the last decade, to more than 512,000 tons last year. The injection of fracking
wastewater causes another problem, earthquakes. Although most of the earthquakes are
small in magnitude (the strongest being 5.2), they are still something we should take into
consideration.

Health Concerns
Hydraulic fracturing has only been around since the late 40s so not much longterm health research has been done. People who live near fracking cites have been
reported to get migraines, rashes and dizziness. In Pennsylvania companies went as far
as delivering clean water because so many people were getting sick from drinking the
contaminated water.There was a study done in Oklahoma where they tested peoples

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tap water who lived near a fracking cite and it showed that 63% of homes had a pinch (if
not more) of methane in it (Economist). Were not the only ones being affected, animals
are in serious danger too, a farmer in Pennsylvania claimed that after her cows drank
from a pond that was contaminated by flowback, 10 out of her 19 calves were born
stillborn. Similar stories have led to reproductive
problems for farm animals across the country.

Community Impacts
Places where fracking occurs get impacted
dramatically. A study showed that for every well there is
approximately 1,000 trucks, these trucks are used for
hauling equipment, water, chemicals and waste leading
to increased traffic congestion. Some more impacts
include:
- Decline in property value
- Increased crime and substance abuse
- Gas pipelines threatening local property rights, due to eminent domain
- Industrialization of the rural landscape, causing fractured communities
- Losses in business, tourism, recreation, farming, etc.
- Out of area drilling workers drive up rental housing and labor costs, followed by fewer

jobs and greater income inequality after initial ramp-up construction.

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- Increased cost of road maintenance

- Higher Public safety costs
- Higher cost permitting, planning and zoning, assessments, housing assistance, etc.
- Churches losing nonprofit status by leasing mineral rights

(Brown)

Common Myths/Truths
Myth: Hydraulic fracturing creates a lot of local jobs.
Truth: About 70 percent of new jobs are given out to out of state workers who travel with
drilling companies. Local worker jobs are usually low-paid, low-skill, part-time jobs.
Myth: People who sign Mineral Rights leases to drilling companies make a lot of money.
Truth: Very few people become wealthy. Predatory Leases can hurt landowners by
requiring them to provide water, roads, and other infrastructure for drilling.
Myth: Hydraulic fracturing brings a town money for years.
Truth: Most gas is recovered and profits made within the first year leading to a boom-bust
cycle that leaves taxpayers to foot the bills.

(Hoffman)

Other Side of the Spectrum

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When done properly, fracking is a gigantic win for the environment, for
consumers and for the economy. There is much more available natural gas in places that
employ fracking, most notably the United States. This massive increase in supply means
much lower prices, it also means less need to import natural gas. Fracking leads to
natural gas being substituted for coal, which is a win on all sorts of pollutants, including
carbon dioxide. Coal plants across the country are bring idled or refitted.

Whats Being Done

Across the United States, communities are taking control of their futures and wellbeing by banning fracking within their borders. In 2014, local communities triumphed
over the fracking industry in the precedent-setting case, when the New York Court of
Appeals, the states highest court, ruled that the towns of Dryden and Middlefield can use
local zoning laws to ban heavy industry, including oil and gas operations, within
municipal borders. Earthjustice, an organization that protects the Earth and people via
law is challenging fracking on public lands, national forests, wildlife refuges and other
special places, to protect pristine landscapes and endangered species. They are also
challenging two gas storage projects proposed for underground salt caverns on the
shores of Seneca Lake, New York; a 122-mile interstate pipeline from Pennsylvania to
New York, and a proposal liquified natural gas export terminal on the Chesapeake Bay.

Conclusion

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There are communities nationwide that are suffering from greedy well owners
and its time for them to stop. Although fracking is a great way to acquire natural gas it's
not worth it if it is not executed perfectly. We must take action in our own communities so
we take fracking completely out of the equation. If you don't agree think about your
health, your childrens health, the planet as a whole, its affecting all of us.

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Works Cited
Brown, Eugene. "Fracking." Food Water Watch General. N.p., 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 03
Mar. 2015.
Hartman, Chris. "Stopping Fracking." Earthjustice. N.p., 08 Jan. 2014. Web. 13 Mar.
2015.
Hoffman, Jon. "Potential Health and Environmental Effects of Hydrofracking in the
Williston Basin, Montana." Case Studies. Geology & Human Health, n.d. Web. 25 Feb.
2015.
Hydraulic Fracturing. Richardson, TX: Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2013. 6 Mar.
2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
White, Emily. "Fracking: The Process | Clean Water Action." Fracking: The Process |
Clean Water Action. N.p., 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

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