Fracking and its Environmental Impacts

By

Erik Sandman

English 110-06

Professor Schaff

10 December 2018
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Lower gas prices? More money in the pockets of Americans? This sounds really good

doesn’t it? These are a few of the benefits of Hydraulic fracking. This type of mining has

exploded in popularity in recent years. It is an alternative energy source as opposed to something

like coal. Whether or not we as a society continue to gain from the broad benefits of fracking

rests on the shoulders of the local communities where drilling takes place or could take place.

These communities must determine if the local benefits exceed the local costs and drawbacks.

The negative effects of fracking in Wisconsin outweigh the positives and it would be beneficial

to the environment for it to be stopped.

Modern fracking began in the 1990s. (Manfreda) In Wisconsin the boom has really come

in the last 8 years. The main areas where fracking takes place is in the western regions of

Wisconsin. There were 73 active sand mines in Wisconsin in 2017 and an additional 19 facilities

which process the sand. (Pearson 2) The process of fracking is when a well is drilled down to a

certain depth and then a horizontal shaft is dug. They then send a different drill head down into

the horizontal shaft to poke holes into the rocks around it. After those holes are poked they then

pump millions of gallons of water with sand it to break up the rock and allow the gas to escape.

The demand for sand is great in the fracking industry. Just one well can require several

thousand tons of sand. Anthropologist, Thomas W. Pearson, wrote that in 2017, nearly 70

million tons of sand was mined in the United States for fracking. He also wrote that “Wisconsin

is uniquely positioned to supply fracking rigs in America with some of the best sand available.”

(Pearson 4) There are large deposits of silica sand concentrated in western Wisconsin. The sand

in the state is prized for its strength and purity. It is very effective when they are pumping the

sand and water down into the wells to extract the gas. The sand in Wisconsin is also located

close to the surface so it is easy and profitable for the companies to dig it up. This means large
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sand mines have popped up all over Wisconsin and the issues that they cause need to be brought

to light. Pearson tells of a couple who were dairy farmers in Drove, Wisconsin. They were

nearing retirement in the early 2000s and sold their land to another farmer so that the land could

continue to get used. However, several years into the couple’s retirement the other farmer sold

the land to an out of state mining company and left town. Pearson visited the couple, and he

learns how each farm has their own story, but these mines are erasing the land that has been

farmed for generations. “The feeling of dislocation occurs because the landscapes are meaningful

to the people.” (Pearson 84) The couple also talked about how many other farmers in the area

have sold their land to mining companies and they have also been approached by the companies

but have held out. The used phrases such as “being squeezed” and “hanging on” to express the

way they were feeling about the current situation with the mining. They are certainly not alone.

Another story tells of a couple who have lived in city their whole lived and wanted to move to

the country to find sanctuary away from the city. A few years into the country life a neighbor

sold his land to a mining company. The man explained how the noise and dust was unbearable.

These things are affecting countless communities in Wisconsin and it needs to be stopped.

As far as emissions go, there is the issue of silica dust in local areas near the mines. One

of the people stated that during the summer she could dust around her house and the next day it

would be dusty again. They also talked about being nervous of exposure to Silica dust. The silica

dust can cause lung disease and lung cancer. In the book “The Real Cost of Fracking” authors

Michelle Bamberger and Robert Oswald talk about farmers in Pennsylvania who were losing

animals near the mines. They then discovered many more stories similar to this. They talked

about how the reports are currently unconfirmed, but they were alarmed by the similarities

between each case. How people were losing animals and also being pressure by mining
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companies to sell their land. The dust can get into the air and contaminate things like ponds and

water troughs for animals. (Bamberger, Oswald 15) Farm animals also breath the air every day

and if they are inhaling the dust it can lead to diseases. This could eventually become a problem

in Wisconsin. The mining needs to stop. As time goes on there is the looming possibility of

people living near the mines being exposed to harmful levels of silica dust which could

potentially lead to harm. Fracking also releases concentrations of methane gas, and while

methane stays in the atmosphere for less time than carbon the overall footprint from fracking is

close to the same. Methane can also contaminate private wells, and while methane is not toxic

itself it poses in increased risk of explosions. (Howarth 4) Which leads to the next point. The

issue of water contamination.

The fracking also uses millions of gallons of water. This leads to the potential for water

sources near the mines to be contaminated. When the water is pumped into the well to break up

the shale deposits besides having sand in it also has other chemicals added to it. When the water

returns it is considered to be toxic. Fracking return fluids have contaminated drinking water

before, and while the evidence is not as strong as methane contamination is has happened from

things like blowouts or surface spills. Only a few months ago just north of La Crosse, WI in

Trempealeau, County a man working at a frack sand mine fell into one of the return water ponds

in his bulldozer and became trapped. The other workers had to release the 10 million gallons of

water in the pond. Much of the water went into the Trempealeau River and covered some fields

in sludge. While health officials said that they didn’t think that there was threat to humans it

certainly raises questions and caused some distress in the local population. (Hubbuch 1) To think

that this could happen anywhere at any time in Wisconsin is a scary thought. This is just another

reason fracking is too high of a risk to take for the rewards.

Many of the mining companies however do not see the risks or choose not to think about

them, they only look at the benefits. Which there are a good amount of them. The fracking boom

has helped to contribute to lower gas prices which in turn saves money for everyone. More

money in the pockets of Americans. The fracking industry also creates jobs for many people in

rural communities allowing them to support their families. However, the risks of fracking are

much to great. Frack sand mining is destroying farm land and other natural landscapes around

Wisconsin and disrupting local communities. The potential for a disaster to happen at any one of

the many facilities around the state is too great for this industry to keep going. The workers are

also at risk of being exposed to silica dust working at these places. There is also the release of

methane gas which is impacting out carbon foot print negatively. That methane can also get into

private wells and while methane is not toxic it does have an increased explosion risk. Fracking

needs to stop.

In conclusion, the risks for fracking outweigh the rewards. Land is being torn up, farm

fields are being erased by the mining companies so that they can get at the sand. Local

communities are being disrupted and families feel pressured to give in to the companies. There is

also the potential for spills which could contaminate water sources and private wells. There is

also a personal aspect of this story that could end up impacting my local area. I am from

northwestern Wisconsin, specifically Barron County. There are fracking operations all around

the county and there are more in the surrounding ones as well. Doing this research paper really

opened me up to all of the potential risks of fracking. I would hate to see some sort of disaster

happen in my local area. Besides the threat of an accident fracking should also be stopped

because of the long-term effects which could impact my local area like water pollution, land
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destruction, and pressure from the mining companies. Again, fracking in Wisconsin is not worth

it and needs to be stopped in the near future to prevent any further effects on the environment.

Word Count: 1510

Works Cited

Bamberger, Michelle, and Robert Oswald. The Real Cost of Fracking: How America's Shale-

Gas Boom Is Threatening Our Families, Pets, and Food. Beacon Press, 2015.

Boudet, Hilary. “‘Fracking’ Controversy and Communication: Using National Survey Data to

Understand Public Perceptions of Hydraulic Fracturing.” NeuroImage, Academic Press, 15

Nov. 2013, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421513010392.

Hester, R. E., and Roy M. Harrison. Fracking. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015.

Howarth, Robert W., et al. “Natural Gas: Should Fracking Stop?” Nature News, Nature

Publishing Group, 14 Sept. 2011, www.nature.com/articles/477271a.

Manfreda, John. “The Real History Of Fracking.” OilPrice.com, 24 Feb. 2017,

oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/The-Real-History-Of-Fracking.html.

Pearson, Thomas W. When the Hills Are Gone: Frac Sand Mining and the Struggle for

Community. University of Minnesota Press, 2017.

Pearson, Thomas W. “Frac Sand Mining in Wisconsin: Understanding Emerging Conflicts and

Community Organizing.” Anthropology & Education Quarterly, Wiley/Blackwell

(10.1111), 12 June 2013,

anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cuag.12003.
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Pearson, Thomas W., et al. “How Fracking's Appetite for Sand Is Devouring Rural

Communities.” SAPIENS, Garry Knight/Flickr, 4 May 2018,

www.sapiens.org/culture/fracking-rural-wisconsin/.

Pearson, Thomas. “Frac Sand Mining and the Disruption of Place, Landscape, and Community

in Wisconsin.” Society for Applied Anthropology,

www.sfaajournals.net/doi/abs/10.17730/0018-7259-75.1.47.

Voiland, Adam. “Sand Rush in Wisconsin.” NASA, NASA,

earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/91835/sand-rush-in-wisconsin.