Hydraulic Fracking

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The 21st Century Energy Boom: An In-depth Analysis of the Benefits of Hydraulic Fracking The controversy of hydraulic fracking is mainly funded by energy corporations and environmental organizations, with the government slowly encroaching after public outcry. With the bias of pro-fracking from energy companies wanting to make money from newly found American natural gas prospects and the anti-fracking claims from environmentalist who are against drilling or operations on American soil wanting very restricting regulations on fracking that would make the process cost more and thus not have the economic benefits that are present now. Through the use of several databases, I have found several different articles that strengthen both sides of…show more content…
“Pennsylvania legislature approved Act 13, known as the Unconventional Gas Well Impact Fee Act.” (Rabe 336). This shows that hydraulic fracking is included into state constitutions and has a right to operate. The Pennsylvanian legislator Corbett stated “thanks to this legislation, this natural resource will safely and fairly fuel our generating plants and heat our homes while creating jobs and powering our state’s economic engine for generations to come” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2012) (Rabe 336). Showing that the government is coming to the side of hydraulic fracking because they see the economic benefits. This does not only debunk the claims of critics but it strengthens the argument that hydraulic fracking is worth it. Although those claims have been debunked the critics are not without reason to worry about government helping energy companies. Many federal laws have exemptions for hydraulic fracturing. Such laws are “Safe Drinking Water Act (1974), Clean Water Act (1972), Clean Air Act (1970)” (Rosenberg 77) The Safe Drinking Water Act “Protects the quality of drinking water and regulates the injection of waste into drinking water, both above- and belowground” (Rosenberg 77), yet the exemption for hydraulic fracking was “The Energy Policy Act of 2005 exempted hydraulic fracturing from the definition of "underground injection" under the Act unless the fracking fluid contains diesel fuel” (Rosenberg 77). This means that energy companies can have water-injection wells as long as the water does not have diesel fuel. The Clean Water Act “Regulates discharges of pollutants into waters and authorizes the EPA to establish quality standards for surface waters” (Rosenberg 77) and the exemption is “Hydraulic-fracturing wastewater is not considered to be a pollutant if the waste is managed by the state, and therefore a federal
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