Fracking is the highly controversial battle between the success of the economy and the protection of the environment. Environmental activist claim that fracking will ruin our ecosystems and put people ‘s lives in danger; while fracking companies only care about benefits of greenbacks rather than environmental costs. With the government already investing a myriad of time and money on fracking, the government can help settle this battle. The government needs to regulate fracking to the extent of it becoming a safer process so the environment and its people are no longer in harm. The first regulation the government should implement is for government workers to inspect cement pipes prior to beginning the fracking process.
Cracked Pipes can cause contamination in soil, and possibly groundwater,”Fracking pipes carry sand, water, and chemicals such as acetic acid, and hydrochloric acid.” (Elaine Brzycki). These chemicals can lead to the decomposition of plant life, and be harmful to animals. Fracking will have less of a negative impact on the environment with the prevention of harmful chemicals entering our ecosystem. With concrete walls checked and approved by government workers, this will eliminate the threat of contamination. Cracked Pipes can lead to an explosion, which can put hundreds of lives in danger.
With so much pressure used in order to bring natural gas to the surface, it ‘s no surprise when cement pipes crack. Not only will chemicals that are detrimental to our ecosystem be exposed, but also the lives of the workers will be put at risk. One case of an exploding pipe ended sadly, ” One worker was killed and two were seriously injured Thursday when a frozen high pressured fracking pipe ruptured.” (Jesse Pau. .ompany ‘s money being wasted on the cost of production, fracking companies will begin to follow these National Environmental Laws for the sake of their revenue.
A common counter point that companies will try to use is that there is no way to reduce the pollution that they cause. However, that is not the case when companies can reduce the number of trucks needed to carry supplies by having fewer and bigger truck loads. The link between the protection of our environment and the continuation of fracking is in the hands of the government. The government has the power to make the regulations necessary so that fracking, citizens and the environment are able to continue thriving and follow the Doctrine of Public Trust. If the government does decide to produce regulations to make fracking safer, companies will gain support and will thrive even more for our economy.
