Does fracking cause earthquakes?
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), "The pressure exerted on a rock formation by the fluids injected into
these disposal wells can cause faults to shift, resulting in human-induced earthquakes. The central and eastern United States
averaged just 25 annual earthquakes of magnitude 3 or higher (which is generally strong enough to feel) between 1973 and 2008 but
experienced more than 1,000 of these quakes in 2015 alone."
According to the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), "They say very rarely. Although induced seismicity (particularly in Oklahoma) has made
headlines in recent years, earthquakes attributable to the actual fracking process
are exceedingly rare and generally below the magnitude that people can actually feel.
Induced earthquakes are more commonly linked to wastewater injection — a completely separate process from fracking."
How many American jobs has fracking created?
"Millions. A 2015 Harvard Business School/Boston Consulting Group analysis estimates that shale development created roughly
2.7 million U.S. jobs in the first decade of the shale revolution. A 2013 study, commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
projected fracking will create a total of 3.5 million U.S. jobs by 2035. A separate 2017 American Petroleum Institute (API) report
found that the oil and natural gas industry supports 10.3 million jobs in the U.S. — a 500,000 increase since 2011 — and projects
the industry will support an additional 1.9 million jobs by 2035."
How much water does fracking consume?
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), "Fracking consumes a massive amount of water. Anywhere between 1.5 million
and 16 million gallons of water may be used to frack a single well, depending on a few factors, including the type of well and
rock formation. Water used for hydraulic fracturing is typically fresh water taken from groundwater and surface water resources.
Although there are increasing efforts to use nonpotable water, some of these sources also supply drinking water."
How does fracking affect air pollution?
According to the NRDC, "Air pollution from oil and natural gas production, including fracking activities, is a serious problem that
threatens the health of nearby communities. Flaring (a controlled burn used for testing, safety, and waste-management purposes), venting
(the direct release of gas into the atmosphere), leaking, combustion, and release of contaminants throughout the production, processing, transmission,
and distribution of oil and natural gas are significant sources of air pollution."
According to IPAA, "Several state departments of environmental protection have also installed air monitors at well sites and found that emissions during
oil and natural gas development do not exceed public health thresholds."
Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA)
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
