The Environment » Study Fracking

The Environment » Study Fracking

The Environment

Water

What is water pollution?

Water pollution is caused by contaminants, such as pollutants and foreign chemicals, that enter the water supply.
Does fracking pollute drinking water?

No. The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have never found a case of underground water contamination due to fracking. State regulations and Colorado’s geological features protect drinking water during the fracking process. Thankfully, Colorado has some of the toughest and most stringent oil and gas rules in place anywhere in the country – and billions are invested every year to help to improve upon what’s already widely regarded by state and federal regulators as a safe and secure process.  (Sources: U.S. Department of Energy/Groundwater Protection Council, Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission)
Does Colorado prohibit water pollution?
Yes. Under Rule 324A, Colorado strictly prohibits pollution of water from oil and natural gas drilling. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) regulate the oil and gas industry’s operations from start to finish to ensure surface and subsurface water is protected. (Source: Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission)

How do Colorado regulations prevent pollution?
Before a well is even drilled, oil and natural gas producers must apply for a permit with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), which then consults with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDHPE) to determine whether the well meets specific structural guidelines. COGCC Rule 317 requires wells be encased in multiple layers of protective, industrial-grade steel pipe, also called casing, which is surrounded by cement to create redundant layers of protection for underground water supplies.  (Source: Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission)
Want to read more about Colorado’s regulations? Read this report:
State Oil and Natural Gas Regulations Designed to Protect Water Resources, 2009; U.S. Department of Energy.
How do we know water is safe after a well is fracked?
Once a well is developed, Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) rules 317 and 326 require oil and natural gas producers test well infrastructure and keep detailed logs throughout the entire drilling process.  Additionally, COGCC rules 608, 609 and 318A.e(4) require that water wells close to oil and natural gas developments be tested before and after fracking to prove our water is protected.  (Source: Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission)
Does fracking fluid mix with drinking water?
No. In addition to comprehensive regulations, Colorado’s geological features naturally protect water aquifers.  Drinking water aquifers are around 450 to 700 feet beneath the earth’s surface and are usually separated by a mile or more of solid, impermeable rock from the targeted oil and natural gas-bearing rock formations located deeper than 6,000 feet below the surface. This natural barrier prevents fracking fluids from ever accessing potable water supplies.  (Source: Colorado Geological Survey)
Want to read more about this topic? Read this EPA report:

Evaluation of Impacts to Underground Sources of Drinking Water by Hydraulic Fracturing of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs Study, 2004; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Does fracking drain Colorado’s water supply?
No. According to the Department of Water Resources and the Colorado Water Conservation Board, fracking accounts for 0.1% of total statewide water usage. Additionally, to conserve water, companies have incentives to implement best practices to recycle and reuse water in fracking operations. (Source: Colorado Division of Water Resources)
Want to learn more? Read this report by the Colorado Division of Water Resources: Water Sources and Demand for the Hydraulic Fracturing of Oil and Gas Wells in Colorado from 2010 through 2015, 2012;Colorado Division of Water Resources, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Can water used during fracking be recycled?
Yes. After treating water produced during fracking, the oil and natural gas industry often reuses this water for future operations to reduce water consumption.
(Source: Colorado Oil & Gas Association)
Where does the oil and gas industry get water for fracking?
Colorado laws strictly govern water usage to prevent depletion of its water supply.  In conjunction with these rules oil and gas producers can obtain water from:

• Out-of state resources
• Changed water rights
• Municipal lease/purchase
• Non-Tributary groundwater (requires a permit and landowner agreement)
• Recycled produced water

(Source: Colorado Division of Water Resources)

Is Colorado’s water safe to drink?

Yes.  According to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the fracturing process has never been found to have polluted underground sources of drinking water. That said, other elements of the development process can have an adverse impact on water quality and pressure if the right steps to seal and cement the well aren’t taken. Thankfully, Colorado has some of the toughest and most stringent oil and gas rules in place anywhere in the country – and industry itself continues to invest billions a year to improve upon what’s already widely regarded by state and federal regulators as a safe and secure process.

Want to learn more? Read these reports:

1. Constraints on Upward Migration of Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid and Brine, 2013; National Groundwater Association.
2. Shallow Groundwater Quality and Geochemistry in Fayetteville Shale Gas-Production Area, North-Central Arkansas: Full Report, 2011: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report.
3. Evaluation of Impacts to Underground Sources of Drinking Water by Hydraulic Fracturing of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs Study, 2004; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Air

What is air pollution?
Air pollution is caused by emissions of dangerous gases and particles into the air by various human-related activities. These emissions can harm public health and disrupt the environment.  Read a full list of air pollutants here.
Does fracking endanger public health?
No. Studies conducted in Colorado by the EPA, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado State University and University of Colorado all conclude that air emissions associated with fracking are below EPA air quality thresholds established to protect public health.  (Source: Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission)
Does Colorado regulate air quality?
Yes, Colorado is leading the way in air pollution regulations. Recently, the oil and natural gas industry worked with Governor John Hickenlooper (D) and environmental groups to announce new proposed rules that would make Colorado the first state to detect, document and address methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from oil and gas operations. These rules serve to reduce pollutants and protect public health.  (Source: Colorado.gov)

Who enforces air quality laws in Colorado?

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment-Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) is responsible for ensuring that oil and natural gas operations comply with federal and state air quality laws and regulations.  The APCD administers rules that have been developed and approved the by the EPA and Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (CAQCC).  Additionally, oil and natural gas producers must comply with air quality requirements enforced by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) and local counties and communities.  (Sources: Colorado Oil & Gas Association, The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment-Air Pollution Control Division, Colorado Air Quality Control Commission)
How do I know that these regulations are working?
Colorado measures levels of criteria pollutants 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week and this information is available to the public. Visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment-Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) website for air quality forecasts and indexes.
What are greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases and methane are all considered greenhouse gases.  They can heat the earth’s atmosphere, potentially causing the planet to warm.
Does fracking increase global warming?

No. Thanks to fracking, the U.S. has dramatically reduced carbon emissions. Developments in fracking have opened deposits of previously inaccessible natural gas, which emits 50% less carbon dioxide than coal. A greater supply of natural gas has driven down its cost, making the switch from coal to natural gas an economical and eco-friendly choice. With more people fueling their homes, cars and businesses with natural gas, carbon dioxide levels reached a 20-year low in 2012. (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Do environmentalists support fracking? 

Yes, many environmentalists support fracking because it complements renewable energy and has helped deliver CO2 emissions in the United States that are today at a 20-year low. Technological innovations in fracking have unlocked previously inaccessible supplies of natural gas, providing America with a cleaner burning alternative to coal. (Source: Centre for Policy Studies)

Land

Does fracking cause earthquakes?

The short answer is no. Whether it’s a hydroelectric dam, geothermal power plant, coal mine or an oil and gas well, most forms of energy production and just about every kind of construction have the potential to shake the ground. But when it comes to the hydraulic fracturing process, the nation’s leading scientists have closely studied the potential earthquake risk and concluded it’s extremely low. In fact, one of country’s top geophysicists says the amount of seismic energy released during hydraulic fracturing is “extremely small” and about the same as “a gallon of milk falling off a kitchen counter.” (Sources: Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies, 2012; National Research Council,U.S. Senate Testimony of Stanford University Geophysics Professor Mark Zoback, 2012)
Does fracking disrupt the land?
No. Fracking combined with horizontal drilling, limits land disturbance by allowing multiple wells to be located in a single location.  Additionally, after a well is fracked companies reclaim the landscape and return it to pre-drilling conditions. (Source: Cornell University)
Can recreation, agriculture, and oil and natural gas production co-exist?
Yes.  With more than 10,000 oil and natural gas wells drilled in western Colorado over the past several years, recreational, agricultural and tourism economy continues to thrive.  (Source: Colorado Oil & Gas Association, Colorado Petroleum Association, Western Energy Alliance, and America’s Natural Gas Alliance)
How important to Colorado is oil and natural gas development on public lands?
In 2012, the oil and natural gas industry contributed nearly $30 billion in economic activity and generated $1.6 billion in revenue that went toward improving public schools, parks, roads, and countless other municipal services.  Additionally, $81.5 million of that $1.6 billion went to the Department of Natural Resources to help conserve parks, wildlife, land and water.  (Source: Leeds School of Business University of Colorado Boulder)
Who regulates Colorado’s land?
Colorado’s lands are regulated both at the federal and state-level. The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages and implements strict regulations over approximately 37% of all lands in Colorado. At the state-level, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) is the main state agency that oversees fracking.  In addition to the COGCC, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and local governments play an important role in keeping lands safe during the fracking process. (Source: Colorado Oil & Gas Association, Colorado Petroleum Association, Western Energy Alliance, and America’s Natural Gas Alliance)
Want to learn more? Read this testimony by the Director of the COGCC: Natural Gas Drilling: Public Health and Environmental Impacts, 2011; Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
How do we know regulations are being enforced?
The COGCC works with STRONGER (State Review of Oil & Natural Gas Environmental Regulations) to audit the effectiveness of oil and natural gas regulations. STRONGER makes these audits available to the public.    (Source: Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission)
Want to learn more?  Read Colorado’s audit here.