Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

Outline
1. Introduction and background
a. What is fracking?
g
b. Where are we fracking?
c. How does fracking work?

2. Water contamination and health effects

Jim Shine Fall 2014 3. Policy and regulatory implications

Dept. Environmental Health
Harvard School of Public Health

What is fracking? Where are we fracking?

“Fracking” = hydraulic fracturing U.S. natural gas production by source

Technique for Shale gas

recovering natural gas constitutedd 14%
and oil that involves of the US
blasting chemically natural gas
supply in 2009
treated water and sand
and is predicted
into a layer of shale to
to constitute
crack open the rock 45% of the US
andd lib
liberate
t th
the gas gas supply in
2035

Mooney C. The truth

about fracking. Sci Am. Plan to study the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources.
EPA/600/R-11/122/November 2011/www.epa.gov/research.
2011 Nov;305(5):80-5. http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/upload/hf_stu
dy_plan_110211_final_508.pdf

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 1

Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

Where are we fracking? How does fracking work?

Location of shale gas plays in the U.S. The process of hydraulic fracturing
Depths for shale gas formations Basic technique has been used since the
range from 500 to 13,500 feet Vertical well:
1940’s, but only recently have technological
below the earth’s surface advances allowed for horizontal drilling in
addition
dditi tto ttraditional
diti l vertical
ti l ddrilling
illi
Five most productive shale gas fields
in the country produce 8.3 billion ft3
of natural gas per day Three types of wells:
• Barnett • Vertical
•
•
Bakken
Fayetteville
• Horizontal
• Woodford • Directional (S-shaped)
• Marcellus Shales

Horizontal drillingg requires

q much larger
g
The
h Marcellus
ll Shale
h l is llargest off the
h
volumes of water and chemicals than
newly developing shale gas deposits
in the U.S.—covers 124,000 km2 vertical wells
from New York to West Virginia • 2-4 million gallons of water and 15,000
• Depth ranges from ground level to over to 60,000 gallons of chemicals for a
2,500 m
• Estimated to hold 13.8 trillion m3 of
single lateral well
Plan to study the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources.
Plan to study the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources.
EPA/600/R-11/122/November 2011/www.epa.gov/research.
http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/upload/hf_stu
natural gas EPA/600/R-11/122/November 2011/www.epa.gov/research.
dy_plan_110211_final_508.pdf http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/upload/hf_stu
dy_plan_110211_final_508.pdf

How does fracking work? How does fracking work?

Horizontal wells
Deep shale environment
has several thousand feet of
rock between drinkingg
water aquifer and
horizontal well
Gas production is more
economical than from a
vertical well
Fewer wells are needed
than when using vertical
wells
Chemicals used in fracking
Chemicals are used to:
• Help fracking fluid flow
• Protect well pipes
• Kill bacteria
More than 750 distinct
chemicals used in fracking
solutions
Chemical additives are less
than 2% by volume of fracking
fluid
…but
b tbbecause it’
it’s such
h a water-
t
intensive process, at least
50 m3 of chemicals are used for
typical 10,000 m3 project

Plan to study the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water

Plan to study the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. EPA/600/R-11/122/November resources. EPA/600/R-11/122/November 2011/www.epa.gov/research.
2011/www.epa.gov/research. http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/upload/hf_st
http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/upload/hf_study_plan_110211_final_508.pdf udy_plan_110211_final_508.pdf

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 2

Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

How does fracking work?

Estimated water needs by shale play Outline
1. Introduction and background

2. Water contamination and health effects

a. Overview
b. Potential water hazards during drilling process
― Methane contamination case study
Plan to study the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking
water resources. EPA/600/R-11/122/November
2011/www epa gov/research
2011/www.epa.gov/research.
― Health effects of methane contamination
c. Potential post-drilling water hazards
http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturin
g/upload/hf_study_plan_110211_final_508.pdf

― Health effects of fracking fluid contamination

3. Policy and regulatory implications

Water contamination and health effects: Water contamination and health effects:
Overview Overview (continued)

Table I: Pennsylvania Gas Industry Inspections, Violations and Enforcements

Year Formations Inspections Violations Enforcements

2008 All 937 1447 662

Marcellus 130 179 122
2009 All 1801 3159 693
Marcellus 314 639 190
2010 All 1500 2721 721
Marcellus 634 1227 308
Total All 4238 7327 2076
Marcellus 1078 2045 620

Source: Bishop, 2011. State Univserty of NY, Chemical and Biological Risk Assessment of NS Howarth (2011), Nature

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 3

Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

Water contamination and health effects: Water contamination and health effects:
Overview (continued) Potential water hazards during drilling process
Well casing failure
– Frackingg fluid can migrate
g through
g fractures to aquifer
q

Migration of naturally occurring substances:

– Brine
– Natural gases
– Metals
– Radioactive materials
– Organics (e.g., PAHs)
Caused by:
– Pressure changes (fluids, explosions)
– Reactions between fracking fluid and geological formation

Water contamination and health effects: Water contamination and health effects:
Methane contamination case study: Osborn 2011 Methane contamination case study: Osborn 2011

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 4

Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

Water contamination and health effects: Water contamination and health effects:
Health effects of methane Potential post-drilling water hazards
Chemical transportation accidents and spills
Explosive danger
Drilling site surface contamination
– Flowback
– Improper handling of chemicals, leaks from
on-site storage tanks and retention ponds

Ingested toxicity? Disposal of used fracking fluid

• Methane is highly
g y volatile,, therefore unlikelyy to stayy in  Improper treatment (municipal
water where it would be ingested treatment plants not equipped)
• Acute toxicity at 15% of the air (!)  Injection into ground or used wells
• Symptoms: dizziness, fatigue, headache (ATSDR)  Breach of pit lining
• Not associated with long-term health effects

Water contamination and health effects: Water contamination and health effects:
Health effects of post-drilling contamination Post-drilling contamination example
So what’s in there? BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene): most widely-
appearing (known) compounds in fracking fluids
• Neurological effects ranging from tingling and numbness to
Inert compounds (e.g., salts, citric acid) unconsciousness
• Kidney and liver toxicity
Compounds known to be hazardous: • Benzene is a known carcinogen
– E.g., naphthalene, methanol, ethylene glycol • 1.4 million gallons of fluid containing at least one BTEX
– Special concern over BTEX compounds… p
compound over five-year
y period
p between 2005 and 2009

“Proprietary compounds” (unknown)

benzene toluene ethylbenzene

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 5

Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

Water contamination and health effects:

Summary of potential hazards to drinking water Outline
1. Introduction and background

2. Water contamination and health effects

3. Policy and regulatory implications

a. Context
b. Current regulatory mechanisms
c. Peripheral policy concerns
d. The future
Plan to study the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. EPA/600/R-11/122/November 2011/www.epa.gov/research.
http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/upload/hf_study_plan_110211_final_508.pdf

Policy and regulatory implications: Policy and regulatory implications:

Context Context (continued)

NEPA Clean Air Act Clean Water Act

(
(1969)
) ((1970)) ((1972))
Occupational Health and Safety Act (1970) requires
material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for every chemical
Safe Drinking CERCLA be posted in the workplace to protect workers
RCRA
Water Act (“Superfund” Act)
(1976)
(1974) (1980)

EPCRA and Pollution But, manufacturers can withhold the formulations of

Prevention Act Toxic chemicals that are “trade secrets” – MSDS may just say
Release Inventory e.g. ‘polymer,’ ‘plasticizer’
(1986/1990)

The United States has many environmental laws.

Regulatory mechanisms are generally contaminant-specific.

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 6

Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

Policy and regulatory implications: Policy and regulatory implications:

Context (continued) Context (continued)

Growing political, social support for “energy independence” In report on fracking, EPA finds:

Increased leasing of federal lands for oil/gas exploration “[The] use of diesel fuel in fracturing
fluids poses the greatest threat” to
Exemptions and dispensations for these projects from underground drinking water
environmental protection regulations
Colborn (2011), Int Jrnl Hum & Ecol Risk Assmnt US HoR Committee on Energy and Commerce, Minotity Staff (2011)

early present early 2004 present

2000s 2000s

Policy and regulatory implications: Policy and regulatory implications:

Context (continued) Context (continued)
Safe Drinking Water Act amended to exclude:
Wyoming becomes first state to require well-by-well disclosure of
“the underground injection of fluids or propping agents (other than diesel chemicals in fracking fluids—but proprietary chemicals still exempt
f l ) pursuantt to
fuels) t hydraulic
h d li fracturing
f t i operations ti related
l t d tto oil,
il gas, or
geothermal production activities” Texas, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas eventually pass similar laws

Except when waste containing diesel is injected back into ground,

fracking not under Clean Water Act regulation
US HoR Committee on Energy and Commerce, Minotity Staff (2011)

Energy Policy Act (2005): Fracking activities exempt from Clean Water US HoR Committee on Energy and Commerce, Minority Staff (2011)

Act,, Clean Air Act,, Safe Drinkingg Water Act,, Superfund

p Act
-a.k.a. the ‘Haliburton Loophone’

early 2004 2005 present early 2004 2005 2010 present

2000s 2000s

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 7

Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

Policy and regulatory implications: Policy and regulatory implications:

Current regulatory mechanisms Current regulatory mechanisms (continued)
Fracking fluids contain 29+ different chemicals known or possible human
carcinogens and/or otherwise regulated under CAA or CWA
• As a practice
practice, not subject to federal environmental statutes per se Proponents of regs: Industry:
— Not enough oversight to — Fracking allows more
Regulated entirely on the state level
ensure safety thorough exploitation with
Laws vary widely by state—e.g., Wyoming fairly strict, West Virginia less infrastructure than
specifically exempts fracking from regulation — Can’t effectively monitor for other technologies
US HoR Committee on Energy and Commerce, Minority Staff (2011) hazardous substances if we
don’t know what we’re — Publishing trade secrets will
looking for slow innovation, reduce
returns on R&D investments
early present — No baseline = can’t
2004 2005 2010
2000s establish liability for
problems in the future

Policy and regulatory implications: Policy and regulatory implications:

Current regulatory mechanisms (continued) Peripheral policy concerns

Enforcingg compliance
p within state regulations
g where theyy Water scarcity: Large volumes needed
do exist is a huge issue. In 2008: — Competition with other users in arid regions
— 19 state inspectors covering 13,000+ wells in New York — International environmental justice

— 24 overseeing 64,000+ in Ohio

Distraction of attention and funding from alternative
— 35 supervising 74,000+ wells in Pennsylvania energy exploration

Cusolito (2010), The Nation

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 8

Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

Policy and regulatory implications:

December 2012
The future Progress Report
Pending EPA study on impacts of fracking on groundwater
— Preliminary findings published December, 2012
— Final report due late 2014 EPA 601/R
601/R-12/011
12/011
— (Already did a study back in 2004)

Growing political issue http://www2.epa.gov/hfstudy

— ‘Gasland’ and local activism in Northeast
— City of New York drinking water supply

But: continued strong political pressure for domestic energy production

early 2004 2005 2010 present future

2000s

Link Between Fracking, Seismic Activity

New York City Drinking
Water: Unfiltered

Treatment Method:
Watershed Protection

Western Reservoirs:

- Within Delaware River

Watershed

- Overlying the Marcellus

formation

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 9

Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

Example Data (Wyoming):

1st Generation of Research Papers…….

NOTE:
- Dotted line is ATSDR Chronic Health Threshold
- Samples collected in PA, AR, WY, CO, OH
October 2014…….
- Only examples of ‘high hits’ shown
- Air samples taken within meters of the fracking activity

Env. Health Perspectives, April 2014………. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, July 2012

- “Measurable” evidence of brine water infiltration into

shallow aquifers at “Some” sites

Conclusions: In this large cohort, we observed an association between density and proximity
of natural gas wells within a 10-mile radius of maternal residence and prevalence of CHDs
and possibly NTDs. Greater specificity in exposure estimates is needed to further explore
these associations.

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 10

Fracking / Jim Shine 12/17/2014

Reviews in Environmental Health, In Press:

- A review article
- Examined chemicals “ASSOCIATED”
ASSOCIATED with fracking
- Concluded that some of those chemicals can cause
adverse reproductive effects
- No field data
- Didn’t try to associate levels observed in the
environment with potential adverse birth outcomes

Harvard University | ENVR E-101 11