Fracking and Hiking – Frequently Asked Questions

1-Q. What is hydraulic fracturing?

1-A.  Contrary to popular belief, hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, is not a drilling technique.  It is rather a process used after drilling is already complete to extract natural gas from oil shale beneath the earth’s surface.  Once a well is drilled in the shale, millions of gallons of water, sand, and a combination of chemicals are forcefully injected into the well.  The pressure of this ultimately fractures the shale enabling natural gas to flow at a much higher rate, making it easier for extraction and also releasing gas that otherwise would have been unobtainable.

 

2-Q. You talk about “fracking” but that’s just the process that takes place below ground. How does that affect hiking trails and parks?

2-A. When we use the term “fracking” we using the word to encompass the entire extraction process, including water/chemical/sand injection into the well, transportation of the fuel via pipeline, storage and transportation of waste water, etc. The siting of the drill pad and the laying of pipelines each have the potential to cut trails in two, fragment forests and natural lands, and even alter basic access to hiking trails. 

 

3-Q. You say water, sand, and chemicals make up the combination of materials used to create fractures in the shale to extract the natural gas. What types of chemicals are used in this mixture?

3-A.  Chemical use will vary based on the site-specific depth and thickness, as well as other characteristics of the target shale formation.  Different chemicals are used for different reasons and at different points of drilling and extraction.  All chemicals are mixed with some sort of sand material and hundreds of thousands of gallons of water – per well.  A partial list of chemicals used and the reasons they are used, such as corrosion inhibitors, iron control, and gelling agents can be found here.  Please note that not all chemicals used are known at this time because companies are not required to make this information public. 

 

4-Q. What could I expect to see once a site has been leased to drill for gas?

4-A.  BHP Billiton Petroleum (Petrohawk) found that “setting up a well site takes 2-4 weeks and includes: Construction of roads for the transport of heavy equipment such as the drill rig, leveling of the site, structures for erosion control, construction of lined pits to hold drilling fluids and drill cuttings, and placement of racks to hold the drill pipe and casing strings.” Drill pads will vary in size but on average will be 7.4 acres in size including roads and utility access.  In most cases, depending on the area, this will involve clear cutting land to make room for the well pad, access roads, and pipelines.  Traffic will increase to carry water, chemicals, drilling equipment, bulldozers, waste water out of the site, and all of the workers to and from.  Noise levels will increase as well, due to the increased truck traffic as well as from actual construction of the wells.

 

5-Q. What are some of the ramifications to the natural habitat, including hiking trails, while drill pads are being developed?

5-A.  Fracking causes detrimental fragmentation to natural habitats, increasing the pressures of survival on different species.  There are no maps for wildlife to let them know when they are in a park and when they are not.  Well pads, utility roads, pipelines, machinery, and especially the clear cutting of forests can physically block and break up the habitat that wildlife needs for survival.  There are acres of forest land being clear-cut to make room for drilling sites.  Since 2005, fracking has affected over 360,000 acres of land with over 80,000 fracking wells in 17 states. 

 

6-Q. That sounds pretty destructive to the land that is being drilled, but what about the water in those areas?

6-A.  Fracking operations have used at least 280 billion gallons of water since 2005.  While most industrial uses of water return it to the water cycle for further use, fracking converts clean water into toxic wastewater, much of which must then be permanently disposed of, taking billions of gallons out of the water supply every year.  Undoubtedly, contaminated water has leaked into clean water sources either by leaking into groundwater through the actual drill wells or by leaking through cement castings where toxic water is being held, waiting to be transported out.   There are multiple reports and incidents of toxic water leaking into the ground deeming surface water and ground water in the area not safe for drinking.  According to National Parks Conservation Association, “In some production areas, companies have trucked wastewater off-site to municipal treatment facilities, but these facilities aren’t equipped to remove some pollutants, and the treated water they discharge can remain high in compounds known to kill fish, corrode metal, and contribute to the excessive growth of certain algae (which in turn can lead to more fish kills). In some places, facilities discharge contaminated wastewater great distances from the original well sites, making fracking’s environmental consequences even more far-reaching.”

 

 

7-Q. So what does this mean for hikers?  Are our trails being threatened by fracking?

7-A.  Some trails are already seeing the effects of fracking.  Reports of noise, water contamination, forest fragmentation, and areas of forests completely disappearing are becoming more and more prevalent.  Even more ominous is the number of areas currently enjoyed by outdoorsmen and women that are at risk from fracking.  Here are just a few examples:

• George Washington National Forest in Virginia and West Virginia is a major concern.  The forests of the George Washington protect an important stretch of the Appalachian Trail as well as the headwaters of the James and Potomac Rivers, which provide drinking water for more than five million people.  George Washington National Forest and Jefferson National Forest have a combined total of 1,925 miles of hiking trails open to the public. 
• Thirty-five national parks overlie or are in the vicinity of the geological formation called the “Marcellus Shale.”  Covering approximately 48,000 square miles, the Marcellus Shale formation lies beneath the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee.  
  • All 35 national parks located on or adjacent to the Marcellus Shale face potential impacts from drilling. These parks draw millions of annual visitors and provide exceptional recreational opportunities in some of the most pristine parks in the country.  The parks are home to spellbinding waterfalls and diverse wildlife.
  • National Parks Overlying or Near the Marcellus Shale:

Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS (within)
Andrew Johnson NHS (near)
Appalachian Trail (within)
Blue Ridge PKWY (near)
Bluestone NSR (within)
Booker T Washington NM (near)
Cedar Creek & Belle Grove NHP (near)
Cumberland Gap NHP (near, also in black shale)
Cuyahoga Valley NRA (near, also in black shale)
Delaware Water Gap NRA (near eastern edge)
Eisenhower NHS (near)
Eleanor Roosevelt NHS (near)
Flight 93 NMem (within)
Fort Necessity NB (within)
Fort Stanwix NM (within)
Friendship Hills NHS (within)
Gauley River NRA (within)
Gettysburg NMP (near)
Great Smokey Mountains NP (near)
Harpers Ferry NHP (near)
Home of Franklin D Roosevelt NHS (near)
Hopewell Cultural NHP (near, also in black shale)
James A Garfield NHS (within)
Johnstown Flood Nmem (within)
Martin Van Buren NHS (near)
Middle Delaware NSR (within)
Morristown NHP (near)
New River Gorge NR (within)
Saratoga NHP (near)
Shenandoah NP (near)
Steamtown NHS (within)
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural NHS (near)
Upper Delaware SSR (within)
Vanderbilt Mansion NHS (near)
Women’s Rights NHP (near)

 

8-Q. Why fracking? Are there any benefits of this type of extraction?

8-A.  Fracking allows for extended production in older oil and natural gas fields.  It also allows for the recovery of oil and natural gas from shale formations that geologists once believed were unable to continue production.  This results in more gas being extracted from existing wells without producing a completely new drill pad.  Some will also argue that we are reducing our dependency on foreign oil and could potentially move from a country that mainly functions as an oil importer to one that would work towards becoming an oil exporter.  The natural gas industry has grown tremendously which means the US has increased its oil reserves, already beginning the process of oil independence.  Another added benefit of any industry that is showing signs of growth is the creation of new jobs; fracking has created jobs in the communities that are seeing their land leased out to drill.  According to a study commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 21st Century Energy Institute, the fracking industry has already created 1.7 million jobs across the country.

 

9-Q. Does American Hiking Society oppose fracking and the search for opportunities to decrease our dependency on foreign oil?

9-A.  Understanding America’s need for energy, American Hiking Society does not oppose all fracking but does seek to convince federal land management agencies to address the placement of wells with full scientific knowledge of each well’s impact on the wildlife, water safety (hikers need access to drinkable water), and the recreation experience for which many of these lands were preserved in the first place.  We are not opposed to alternative measures to extract oil as long as these operations do not increase the risk of disruption to our national forests and parks by fragmenting the natural habitat and contaminating the water and the air.  Our hopes are to prevent the indiscriminate fracking of trail lands and the parks and forests where Americans enjoy hiking and other outdoor recreation.  We are hoping to mitigate the impact of fracking on the hiking experience in places where it has been thoughtfully approved after proper scientific analysis of its impact as well as public involvement. 

 

10-Q. Can’t fracking help slow global warming by cutting greenhouse gas emissions?

10-A. While the burning of natural gas emits fewer greenhouse gases than say coal, the wells do sometimes have significant methane leaks. On April 14, 2014, the Washington Post published results from a study done by the National Academy of Sciences in June, 2012. The study demonstrated plumes of methane being released by fracking sites in southwestern Pennsylvania at 100 to 1,000 times the expected rate for that point in the drilling process.

Assuming that the industry will be able to contain such leaks in the near future, American Hiking does not oppose all fracking.  We do, however, seek to convince federal land management agencies to address the placement of wells with full scientific knowledge of each well’s impact on the wildlife, water safety (hikers need access to drinkable water), and the recreation experience for which many of these lands were preserved in the first place.

 

11-Q. While some people feel that fracking may cause earthquakes, isn’t the science still out on that?

11-A. Until quite recently no absolute scientific cause and effect has been proven, however in April, 2014, geologists in Ohio concluded that a bout of small but abnormal earthquakes in Mahoning County that occurred in March, 2014, were most likely due to nearby fracking activity. In response to these findings, in April, 2014, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued new orders regarding fracking and seismic activity. The new Ohio DNR order states that new permits issued by ODNR for horizontal drilling within 3 miles of a known fault or area of seismic activity greater than a 2.0 magnitude would require companies to install sensitive seismic monitors. If those monitors detect a seismic event in excess of 1.0 magnitude, activities would pause while the cause is investigated. If the investigation reveals a probable connection to the hydraulic fracturing process, all well completion operations will be suspended.