Eric Stone
Week 3
Law 310

state the primary legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing

Although the national study should enhance our scientific knowledge, some concerns associated with overall natural gas and shale gas extraction, including hydraulic fracturing, are already well known. These operations can result in a number of potential impacts to the environment, including: Stress on surface water and ground water fracturing;
Contamination of underground sources of drinking water and surface waters resulting from spills, faulty well construction, or by other means;Adverse impacts from discharges into surface waters or from disposal into underground injection wells; andAir pollution resulting from the release of volatile organic compounds, hazardous air pollutants, and greenhouse gases.

State the primary environmental issues raised by hydraulic fracturing;
•Water Use — Hydraulic fracturing wells require the use of considerably higher volumes of water than do traditional gas wells. In the Antrim Shale formation in Michigan, a traditional gas well requires a one-time use of 50,000 gallons of water. It is estimated that a horizontally drilled, hydraulically fractured well requires a one-time use of 5 million gallons of water
•Contaminated Water Management — Flowback water typically contains small concentrations of chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process as well as naturally occurring salts and in some cases very small quantities of naturally occurring radioactive material such as radium. The contaminated flow back water must be properly treated and handled in order to prevent adverse public health or environmental concerns. state what part hydraulic fracturing plays or will play in meeting U.S. energy needs.
Of the 900,000 barrels per day increase EIA has reported, 750,000 of it came from shale plays on non-federal lands in Texas and North